Beautiful, yes; naive, no.
With elegance and discretion, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is increasingly assuming the power of first lady to secure her husband's re-election.
Roberta Namour, 247 correspondent in Paris – She used to stay behind him more often, as if intimidated. Today, she walks two steps ahead of him, with a firm gaze. He regularly reaches for her arm. Now it is she who extends her hand. More than three years have passed since her marriage to Nicolas Sarkozy. The learning process is over. Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has finally embodied her role as first lady. A discreet wife, she exerts a great influence over her husband, not only in the sports training and diet of the head of state, but also in the management of the country. Sarkozy has become Carla's central project. With the president's popularity waning, the first lady wants to take the reins to face the 2012 election – and thus, prolong her reign.
She is a singer and model by profession, but she has assumed the role of France's main political advisor – albeit informally. After the Roman Polanski case broke, Culture Minister Frédéric Mitterrand sided with the filmmaker, who was threatened with extradition for a pedophilia case. The French president wanted to remove him from office, but the fairy godmother Carla used all her influence to keep him. She tries to downplay the controversy: "He asked me what I thought, just as he did with other artist friends at a lunch. But he had already made his decision before that."
In Besma Lahouri's unauthorized biography of Carla Bruni, the First Lady's audacity earned her many enemies within the government. According to Christine Boutin, former Minister of Housing, Carla Bruni is a true left-wing bohemian who mocks right-wing voters. As for Rachida Dati, Sarkozy's former spokesperson, her animosity is even more blatant. During a visit to the private apartments at the Élysée Palace, Rachida reportedly showed the First Lady one of the rooms with a comment: "You'd certainly like to occupy it, wouldn't you?"
Despite the accusations, Carla Bruni denies any involvement in government affairs. According to her, as in any couple, each has a personal, not political, influence over the other. "I give my opinion to my husband when I'm asked, but he never consults me on specific political matters. He knows I have no knowledge in that area," she states.
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's discreet yet influential demeanor seems to please the French. In a survey published by France-Soir, two-thirds of respondents, or 66%, say they are satisfied with her role as First Lady of France. Around 68% also believe she represents the country well abroad. And 56% consider that she has a positive influence on her husband. The French would love for the Queen's sweet singing to soothe the nervous president.