Elysee Estrangement

Is the Sarkozy Marriage On the Rocks?

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Cecilia are rumored to be on the verge of divorce. If confirmed, it would mark the end of the president's attempts to create an image of domestic harmony for political gain.

Cecilia Sarkozy is the only topic that evokes both loving adoration and admissions of vulnerability from France's habitually gruff president. "She's my strength and my Achilles heel at the same time," admitted Nicolas Sarkozy in the fall of 2003, long before he moved into the presidential Elysee Palace.

As late as this spring, he was convinced that voters would be charmed by his wife: "If you loved Jacqueline Kennedy, you are going to adore Cecilia Sarkozy." But then his confidence waned by summer: "At the end of the day, my only real worry is Cecilia."

For weeks, the signs have been mounting that the presidential couple may be headed toward an imminent break up. There is no other plausible explanation for her constant absence from public life. Compared to Cecilia Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's notoriously publicity-shy spouse Joachim Sauer looks like her constant companion.

Elysee astrologists date the presidential couple's last official joint appearance to Bastille Day on July 14, 2007. Several weeks earlier, Cecilia's abrupt departure from the G-8 summit in Heiligendamm raised a number of eyebrows. There was even a minor diplomatic incident in August when she decided to skip a picnic hosted by US President George W. Bush during his summer vacation in Kennebunkport. The reason given for the snub was that Madame supposedly had a sudden sore throat. Last week, Cecilia fled to a swanky hotel in Geneva and reportedly traveled on to London.

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French newspapers have long since prepared their front-page headlines for the sensational split up. However, they are hesitant to announce the end of the marriage before the presidential palace issues an official confirmation.

Last Friday, L'Est Républicain was the first newspaper to break the sensational news of what it called an impending "separation and divorce." The large regional daily reported that Cecilia has agreed to tell her story to a glossy magazine. A collection of photos to match her personal confession is allegedly also ready to go to the presses.

The writing has been on the wall for a long time. Nicolas Sarkozy isn't the first politician to try -- and fail -- to convey an image of marital bliss through the media. "Together, we will climb the ladder of power," Sarkozy once promised his wife, but with each step higher, the gap grew between the power-hungry politician and his self-assured spouse.

Back when Sarkozy was the mayor of the Paris suburb of Neuilly, marrying the former model gave him the right social flair. Cecilia's contacts opened the door to Parisian high society, and the rising young star of the conservatives effectively promoted his career by playing out his supposed domestic bliss in the limelight. Everything was perfectly packaged by Sarkozy's many friends in the media, who always showed the glamorous couple's best side.

While Sarkozy rose to become the interior minister, finance minister and even the head of the party, Cecilia was far more than just a politician's wife. Sarkozy always called her his "closest advisor" and praised her whenever he could. This picture of the perfect couple lasted until August 2005, when Cecilia and her lover, events organizer Richard Attias, landed on the front page of the magazine Paris Match, a scoop that cost the editor-in-chief his job.

In the summer of 2006, Cecilia and Nicolas officially announced that they had reconciled their differences. They were back together again just in time for the beginning of the presidential campaign -- and the media showed images of the conservative candidate in domestic harmony with his wife and family.

Following the election victory on May 6, the Elysee endeavored to project an image that matched the president's policies for the country. Life in the presidential patchwork family -- five children from three marriages -- was supposed to suggest that Sarkozy is a man of the people.

Cecilia has apparently never been content with her assigned role of lending a touch of elegance to her husband's turbulent presidency, acting as patroness for charity organizations or answering the fans who bombard her with hundreds of letters each week. "Organizing official dinners and wearing clothes from Dior and Saint Laurent are just not enough for her," confided her friend Isabelle Balkany.

Recently, she embarked on her first diplomatic mission -- and promptly sparked a political row. As Sarkozy's "personal emissary," the first lady persuaded Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to release five Bulgarian nurses, apparently in exchange for a military deal worth millions. Following the success of the initiative, Cecilia was hailed as a heroine in the Bulgarian capital Sofia -- but France's opposition Socialist Party has sharply criticized her actions. Starting this week, a parliamentary committee will investigate the circumstances of the mission.

It's possible that Cecilia holds her husband responsible for the current allegations of impropriety. Just when Bulgarian president Georgi Parvanov was looking forward to congratulating the Frenchwoman on her successful trip to Tripoli, the first lady said that she would not take part in a state visit to Sofia. In retrospect, Sarkozy's apology for his wife's no-show sounds believable. He said that she had been "hurt" by the criticism from the opposition in France.

Perhaps Sarkozy should have listened to subtle hints dropped long ago. When asked during an interview back in March 2005 if she could imagine moving into Elysee Palace as first lady, Cecilia said that she was "bored stiff" by the idea.