The Sarkozys split officially and Cécilia makes a splash

[Update note: This was posted just before the Elysée made the divorce official. Here's the latest]

Nicolas Sarkozy has chosen the day of the first national strike against his government to announce that he has separated from Cécilia.

Sarko could hardly keep quiet any longer with rumours inflating the soap opera at the Elysée Palace. A 15-word statement from the palace simply said that the Sarkoz's had separated by mutual consent and that they would say nothing further.

Le Monde, the most authoritative newspaper, has confirmed that they signed a request for a divorce by mutual consent on Monday. They are to return to the judge in six weeks to finalise the divorce. Sarkozy had resisted an announcement because he was still hoping that she would change her mind, it said.

For days, the media have been reporting their separation as a fait accompli. Yet David Martinon, Sarko's spokesman, was forced this morning to endure another pointless grilling. "I have no comment" was his only reply to a barrage of questions. The Cécilia question virtually blotted out serious business such as the public sector strike that has paralysed France today.

But the most bizarre part of today's episode is Cécilia Sarkozy's decision to splash herself across the cover and four inside pages of Paris Match. This is the woman who complains about being harrassed by the media and who protects her privacy with law suits. Yet here she is, in the week of her separation from the president, volunteering for a photo-shoot by Match.

To do the glossy portraits, posed in a hotel near the palace, the magazine hired Philippe Warrin, author of Sarko's official presidential portrait. Naturally, Match does nothing to clarify the state of the couple. It sticks to its usual froth about "Cécilia... une femme sereine" who "has made an impact as a redoubtable warrior in the shadows", whatever that means. The departing first lady asked for the pictures to be published because she wanted to "update her image", Match said.

Deference for the president's consort is dropping away elsewhere. Le Nouvel Observateur called her a contradiction who is "attached to her freedom and moved by immense ambition". She does not just want to be someone's wife, it noted. "This is an infernal paradox for the child of the rich districts who has vritually never worked... a pretty girl who has never really existed beyond (her) men."

Sympathy is wearing thin among the Socialist opposition, which lived through its own soap opera this year with the separation of Ségolène Royal, its presidential candidate, from François Hollande, the party leader and father of their four children.

Did Sarko, as rumoured last spring, take the country for a ride, doing a deal with Cécilila to return to him for the presidential campaign and then divorcing after he wins ? Claude Bartolone, a senior Socialist, said on Europe1 radio: "During the campaign, they announced that they couldn't live without one-another and that it was the energy of their partnership that gave Nicolas Sarkozy the capacity to be the candidate. Now we are back to real life and a fair number of people are going to have the feeling that they were taken for a ride during the campaign."

Historical note: Sarko will become France's second leader to divorce while in office. The Napoleon Bonaparte became the first when he unhitched from the Empress Joséphine in 1809.

Even Libération put aside its squeamishness over presidential private life and did a number on the Sarko saga today.

Comments

[Sandrine]

L'Elysée a confirmé on dirait, non ? "Séparation par consentement mutuel" they said...

Good timing guys !! Now nobody will speak of the first big strike aux journaux de 20 heures !

[Ros]

The Segolène - François separation was not a "soap-opera" to my mind. Just a clear-cut decision to separate AFTER the election results & not before - hardly comparable with Sarko "taking the country for a ride" as Claude Bartolone rightly suggests.

[Johnny Foreigner]

It's new. It's fresh. It's the way to save your daily fish wrap. Betting on the news. No need to speculate, put your money where your mouth is.

Latest odds:
Divorce: 2/5
Sarko to get 12 pages in Paris Match before December: evens
Cecilia to publish her book: evens
Sarko to marry Rachida Dati: 5/1
Sarko to marry Rachida Dati in the week of widesweeping university reform: 3/1
People to see they've been taken for a ride: 100/1
Workers to enjoy pension rights: 600/1
France to enjoy good government: 1000/1

[azloon]

I guess it could have been worse.

she could have undressed for the 'centerfold' for some men's mag.

note to the my french friends on this blog: beware when the "rock" is first turned over (public lives opened to scrutiny). there are a lot of ugly little creatures underneath.

[rocket]

Charles

"Cécilia... une femme sereine" who "has made an impact as a redoubtable warrior in the shadows", whatever that means.

denial denial and more denial!

Charles, only the French could understand what all of that poppycock means. They thrive on the vague for fear of committment. Even after 30 years here I still don't know what the hell they are trying to say half of the time.

[rocket]

"The apparently ex-first lady asked for the pictures to be published because she wanted to "update her image", Match said."

Yeh, right to update her image so she could leverage herself against some big spenders.

She's disgusting.

[John Gregory Flinn]

My wife, who is oriental, wonders why any woman would want to give up being the President's wife.....!

[Terry]

Looks like Cecelia put up a big "For Sale" sign on herself. What are the notary fees on the purchase?

[azloon]

Rocket -- thirty years ??? my god, man.

sounds like cultural assimilation has been minimal.

when something doesn't make sense at first, and still doesn't thirty years later, it probably doesn't make sense.

are your sure you don't want to 'update your image?'

:)

[Dot KING]

Ah, comme c'est mignon! Deux petits coeurs à prendre.
A bientôt sur MEETIC . . .

[Lilly]

A German friend living in GB(political scientist BTW) heard the French were on strike. His words: "What's up? Are the French now going on strike because Sarko's getting divorced?!" -

[Lilly]

"when something doesn't make sense at first, and still doesn't thirty years later, it probably doesn't make sense." (Azloon, addressing Rocket)

Should Rocket follow the Sarkozy's example and file for divorce from France? Hm. -

[Dominique]

Eventhough it is difficult for me to admit, i have to recognize that one thing (one thing only) is interesting about this divorce : Cecilia Sarkozy is the very opposite to Bernadette Chirac.

Bernadette said that she thought about leaving her husband, but dear old Jacques told her that being the president's wife would make her life interesting. She stayed!

Cecila is the very opposite. Eventhough she actually spent her entire life in the shadow of famous males (grand father, J.Martin, N.Sarkozy) and never worked, she now divorces because she can't stand the weight of being a president's wife. There is something interesting (romanesque we say in french) in her life : climbing the stairs using mens and without work while her image tries to make us think of an independant powerfull woman.

An other interting point to follow : she may now, as any citizen, go the the comission d'enquete at the parlement in order to answer questions about what happend in Lybia.

[Blue Hands John]

I winced when i read that lemonde was "the most authoritative newspaper" in france, but then i looked around and i though "mm, maybe". No wonder i don't read the french media anymore.

As for Cecilia -mm, what's her last name now ?- i'll repeat what i said on the 15th.
http://timescorrespondents.typepad.com/charles_bremner/2007/10/the-sarkozy-rum.html#comment-86487064

[rocket]

Azloon

Rocket -- thirty years ??? my god, man.

sounds like cultural assimilation has been minimal.

And even more now. I've thrown in my lot with the Japanese.

As a Japanese client says to me

Moins de Plobrems!

[Zbigniew Mazurak]

Who will now pay for this lazy frog?

[rocket]

So now we find out that they are divorced. Well in France it takes time to divorce having divorced from a French woman myself. At least 6 - 9 months after first confrontation and then reconciliation. If the reconciliation is a no go you walk out of the judges's office as divorced.

So my question is

WHAT THE F**K WAS SHE DOING IN LIBYA AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FRENCH STATE

Watch for a major drop in Sarkozy's ratings in the next week or so as we really took the propaganda up the bum recently.

I'd love to see her dragged in by the gendarmes in front of the "commission d'enquete" but I fear she is a flight risk.

[Joan B]

It's astonishing to see how supine the French media have been over this soap opera. Cecilia would have been dead meat in other places, not just the USA. All kinds of words spring to mind starting with the English... bi*ch

[richard jones]

2 Rocket

Louis XIV and Louis XV used mistresses to represent France, sometimes they went on jolly jaunts to see the Pope.

Further, you maintain nothing has changed in France so why do you bluster the question as what Sissy (aka Romy Schneider) was doing in Libya or Liberia.

It all 'signifies nothing'. It will not stop Arctic ice turning turtle and drowning white teddy bears. It will not stop Athens taxi drivers taking you where they want to go. It will not stop the $ going down the tubes or Horatio Putin building more bombs. It will not get rid of the 'mauvaises herbes' on my balcony. It will not cure gingevitis or stop toenails growing in.

Sissy is no more.
Nicola will soon be more than ever and the world will implode with boredom.

[Mary Chin]

I'll be contrarian: this sounds like a political ploy to divert attention from the strikes and build sympathy for Nicolas Sarkozy.

[Judith]

Interesting how quickly the media has turned on Cécilia Sarkozy. Not long ago she was being treated as some kind of modern Jackie O figure and now its open season on her. I find it difficult to have sympathy for her because of the public persona she has presented over the last few months but I don't think that she is some kind of latter day Marie-Antoinette either.

[rocket]

Interview avec une femme qui préfère l'ombre. Elle a pas chomé, La Cécilia

http://www.estrepublicain.fr/une/exclusivite/art_579766.php

"Enfant déjà, quand je finissais un dessin, je tournais la page et j'en commençais un autre. Eh bien là, j'ai pris mes pinceaux pour peindre une nouvelle histoire."

That is so friggin poetic. The whole population must be crying already. Ready to give her a pass.

Puis je dire moi.

Enfant déjà, quand je finissais une feuille de PQ je le jetais et je prenais une autre.

This kind of crap works very well here as long as you are poetic.

- C'est un homme d'Etat ?
- Je le pense. Je pense que la France le mérite et qu'il mérite la France

Double entendre???? Dominique what do you think?

[Sarah Hague]

The words 'toxic wife' spring to mind. I loved Terry's comment about the big For Sale sign with the Match pictures. That's very funny. Thanks for making my day, Terry.

Diplomatically, Sarko is undoubtedly better off without Cécilia. She's already caused a diplomatic incident with the US and she was only on happy hols. Imagine would she could provoke in a serious crisis. The woman's a liability and it's good riddance. I just hope Sarko recovers quickly so he can concentrate on actually running the country and not have the constant distraction of his toxic wife.

[Actu75]

Rocket
You don't understand Paris Match? As Azloon puts it, it's because there is nothing to understand.
When it comes to rich and/or famous the magazine has as much distance and "impertinence" as the Pravda or El Moudjahidin had towards the Soviets or the FLN. (It's former director tried to reverse it just once and he was fired)
Match provides a strange mix of langue de bois in a soup of eau de rose, supposed to produce the same effects to reason than what was once named the opium of the People (the real one, not those who spend their lives on TV&night clubs).

[Lilly]

Shouldn't it be "Cécilia Ciganer-Albéniz" right now - or will she carry on the President's name with pride (and for their son's sake)?

[Daniel Strohl]

Lilly,

"Should Rocket follow the Sarkozy's example and file for divorce from France? Hm. -"

Pertinent question indeed ! Should Rocket divorce from France, he would have to find an Ersatz (and highly tolerant) "patrie". May be one could recommend Japan, since Rocket wrote : "I have thrown my lot in with the Japanese".

However, Japanese may well be much more selective and demanding than French, and not without various and pertinent reasons. I presume that one prerequisite, and may be the least, to a permanent immigration is the ability to speak fluently Japanese. However, this should not be a problem for Rocket, since he claimed on this blog to have been bilingual English-French within a year after his arrival in France !

What could be somewhat more tricky would be to learn the various Japanese writing methods : kanji, katakana, hiragana, tensho (used for making seals) , romaji (transcriptions in Roman alphabet) etc. ...

But I don't expect here any major problem either : « Où Rocket passe, tout trépasse ! ».

PS : seriously now ! Japan is a highly civilized nation – it would be interesting to know how this country looks at the immigration problem (for instance from Korea) and what relevant laws have been made. Is anybody knowledgeable in this matter ?

[rocket]

Daniel

"What could be somewhat more tricky would be to learn the various Japanese writing methods : kanji, katakana, hiragana, tensho (used for making seals) , romaji (transcriptions in Roman alphabet) etc. ..."

I'm not even getting near the above. Trying to learn phonetically.

However on the other hand the Japanese.

1) are punctual
2) stick to the subject. they don't go off on food, cheese, sex etc.
3) Pay on time
4) Don't constantly whine
5) Don't nitpick
6) Don't systematically criticize the US.
etc etc etc

"However, Japanese may well be much more selective and demanding than French, and not without various and pertinent reasons."

More demanding yes! That's why I find them more fascinating and challenging. This thirst for constant improvement rather than arrogance through mediocrity.

[Daniel Strohl]

Rocket,

When there are high demands, there must be appropriate answers and responses. Are you sure to be able to provide them adequately ?

Furthermore, you should not put all the French "dans le même panier" ("arrogance through mediocrity") - If I were judging Americans only through your example, I would have a rather distorted opinion of them. This is of course and fortunately not the case. I always try to look "plus loin que le bout de mon nez" (a bit further than the tip of my nose). Amen.

[Dot KING]

Rocket really should express his learning of Japanese and get the hell out of France.

[rocket]

Daniel

- If I were judging Americans only through your example, I would have a rather distorted opinion of them.

Daniel. To tell you the truth I've been listening to distorted opinions about the Americans for 30 years now. The best one was many years ago a Frenchman tried "corps et âme" to convince me that Reagan would resign because he was a lame duck so he had no reason to finish his mandate because he could not be reelected. If that isn't a total misunderstanding of the American mentality in comparison to the French mentality, nothing is. You can't be reelected... so just give up. Hmmm, makes one wonder. I don't want to even get into how many times people here have tried to convince me that the US has 52 states. Mais oui! Alaska and Hawaii.! You are free to express your opinions on Americans. Do you think I agree with them (Americans) all of the time? Non, non et encore non! But this is a blog about France not the US.

The training in France is just not serious, I'm sorry. If you look at Germany for example, they have training which leads to something concrete and to better jobs for unqualified workers for example. There are checks and balances in the system in Germany to insure that those in training take it serious. It's not me saying this but French economists. Look, here you can refuse jobs if you are unemployed until you turn blue in the face. (I beleive a change is in store and it's about time) When I arrived here in 1977 (Giscard) you could get 110% of your salary if you lost your job. All you had to do was take a training course. I knew a girl who lived like this for years. 6 months of work to reset "ses droits" and 6 months of "chomage"

Dot

"Rocket really should express his learning of Japanese and get the hell out of France."

Sorry but I am providing a service to the Japanese community in France so that their companies can come to "s'installer" in France, invest a lot of money here and create jobs for French people, pay taxes and contribute to the wealth of France. I don't think I am doing a disservice to the French in any way. You may not like my "manière de m'exprimer mais pourquoi mâcher mes mots"

Would you prefer it soft and cuddly.

http://network.bestfriends.org/data/blogs/1637590512061658.jpg

[Valentin]

Rocket :
"All you had to do was take a training course. I knew a girl who lived like this for years. 6 months of work to reset "

Again I have to agree, I too knew someone doing just that.
French pretend life is more than just work or money; so much more, that working becomes a stupid thing to do, and taking advantage of a perverted system, a social right.

But Rocket, as to your points, the French are of the south: POINTLESS to expect punctuality, discipline, or restraint. As if I'd expect the Renaissance to be brought by the Norsemen: HOPELESS ! they do drakars, mechanics, or finance; Southerners invent the Opera Buffa!

Your anglosaxon nature is like a fish out of the water here, that's the problem, you think these are moral problems, when they are traits of character that will never change.

Oh and you're not doing a service to France, but to the Japanese :)

[rocket]

Valentin

"Oh and you're not doing a service to France, but to the Japanese :)"

Creating jobs for French workers is not a service for the French?

That's the whole problem in France. You don't realize that foreign investment creates jobs for French workers in areas of manufacturing or services that the French would never have had the means or often inventiveness to create themselves.

[azloon]

Rocket is getting a bum rap here, methinks.

because he maintains his non-french identity and values as clearly and intensely as he does, he seems to be a bit threatening to some of you.

it's the 'love us or leave us' syndrome which is well-known to hyper-critics of the u.s. who live in our midst (not all americans feel this way, but the political/religious right tends to take this position).

it does defy comprehension that a constitutional democracy such as france permits public transit workers to strike whenever, and however they wish, thus allowing the safety and security of the country to put in jeopardy for the selfish interest of a labor union.

and Valentin, to argue that Rocket's working with japanese business in france is not of value to france is absurd. the japanese are now the second largest, soon the be the largest, manufacturer of cars IN the u.s. they make the cars HERE. more than a million americans are employed by these japanese companies, paying u.s. taxes, medically insuring and providing other employment benefits. these companies are not only important to the u.s. economy, but VITAL.

i am surprised that you pretend to be a sarkonian but then come out with something like your response to rocket re japanese in france.

sarko is going nowhere if you are representative of his support base in france. with friends like you, there is no need for Dominique and his ilk (i.e. he needs no enemies).

[rocket]

Azloon

"and Valentin, to argue that Rocket's working with japanese business in france is not of value to france is absurd."

"i am surprised that you pretend to be a sarkonian but then come out with something like your response to rocket re japanese in france."

Not to worry Azloon. It's a French thing! whatever the political persuasion. It's kinda like pay pay pay and shut up and get on your knees that we let you work in France.

[Valentin]

"and Valentin, to argue that Rocket's working with japanese business in france is not of value to france is absurd"

The idea was not that we don't need Japanese business, but rather that Japanese have more to gain from this than the French. With a little arrogant pinch inside, as in, we're doing more honour to the Japs working with them, than the other way around.

But rest assured Azloon, Japan, Germany, let alone the US business are more than wanted in France, no one in their right mind would ever deny this.
Well.
Provided they employ people here. And that they don't force them to speak English - OR ELSE! :)

[Dot KING]

Azloon, I am neither French nor American, but find Rocket's animosity to the French disturbing.
I'd quite like to know who benefits most financially from his Japanese venture in France - would it be (i) the Japanese investor, (ii) Rocket and (iii) the French workers?
Or do I reverse the first two?

[Sandrine]

"because he maintains his non-french identity and values as clearly and intensely as he does, he seems to be a bit threatening to some of you."

Absolutely not Azloon. We don't want foreigners to become completely French and to lose their identities. We don't want people to AGREE WITH US all the time. But trust me, when you read what Rocket writes (whether you're French or not), you just have one question : what the heck is he still doing in this SO AWFUL country ???

For example, if I complained to my neighbours every day how America is not for poor people but for rich people only or that I hate how this country only knows cars (and big ones please) and forgets about the environment, or that I don't understand why they decided to go make war in Irak (and I could go on...). Don't you think that I will hurt my American neighbours ? Do you think they won't wonder why I'm still in their country then ?

That's exactly how I feel when I read Rocket's arrogant diatribes against my country. Sorry, it's hard not to feel this way !

[azloon]

Sandrine and Dot:

re Rocket

i have had similar experiences with french in the u.s. i posted earlier about eating dinner with a young french couple who went 'on and on' about how terrible the food was here. it was a little annnoying, but not unbearable.

but to be honest, Sandrine, there are many AMERICANS who feel the same way you do about the culture of this country, and about all the points you make. you're just not hanging out with the 'right' crowd. you can certainly say all those things to me without offending me. because, in large part, they are true.

sometimes the truth hurts. and some critics seem unnecessarily harsh and direct. i can imagine Rocket seems that way to francophiles.

i would be interested to know if french readers of this blog, who follow Rocket's comments, are unanimous in their feelings toward him.

[Daniel Strohl]

Rocket,

"Daniel. To tell you the truth I've been listening to distorted opinions about the Americans for 30 years now".

I believe you, and I am sorry because some of my compatriots do not behave properly (there are idiots and "malotrus" everywhere and in any country). But when this happens to you, there is no reason whatsoever to swallow it and say amen. You are in a free country, and free to say what you think if you feel that you or your country is being unduly (i.e without provocation) offended.

However, if you behave in the ordinary life in the same manner as you do sometimes on this blog - provocative, arrogant, "m'as-tu vu" - you should not wonder to get in trouble sometimes or as we say in Alsatian, "to get one (blow) on the (stork's) beak".

Rocket, you would do a favour to all of us (or most of us) if you would refrain somewhat from constantly "cracher votre venin" (spit your venom). CB's blog is very interesting and we should not impair it through insult trading. Insulting people or a nation is very easy to do, especially when there is no physical risk to "get one on the beak".

[richard jones]

The tenor of the contributions made so far to this topic seem to indicate by their tangentiality what I have always suspected: the Sarkos'private lives do not matter very much and will do little to affect France's apogee or perigee in the next years.

[rocket]

Sandrine

"For example, if I complained to my neighbours every day how America is not for poor people but for rich people only or that I hate how this country only knows cars (and big ones please) and forgets about the environment, or that I don't understand why they decided to go make war in Irak (and I could go on...)."

But that is what your country as a whole has been bitching about the United States for the last 50 years.

There are no diatribes only direct language which as is to be expected certain of our readers are not able to deal with. Hey you all can have at it with me. I can accept it. I don't think that I'm saying anything different than your recently elected President and his government have been saying since May 07.

As for my neighbors. We only talk about the weather.

Valentin

PS - "Japs" is pejorative. It's like saying "kikes" so you should really get a life and research these things before you speak. But then again there is arrogance in mediocrity.

[rocket]

Daniel

"You are in a free country, and free to say what you think if you feel that you or your country is being unduly (i.e without provocation) offended."

"Rocket, you would do a favour to all of us (or most of us) if you would refrain somewhat from constantly "cracher votre venin" (spit your venom)."

Daniel

???????????

[Valentin]

Azloon, I agree with Sandrine, much of Rocket's criticism has a core of truth, it is just that he overdoes it, and in such way that you can't help seeing a personal side to it, and the first question that pops to mind is, if he feels thàt way, WHY does he inflict this country on himself?

Now we know why. He's making a lot of money out of it :)

The idea is, he, as Robert Marchenoir sometimes, lacks moderation and a certain objectivity. NOT ALL IS BLACK here, for heaven's sake!

For instance now he treats me as an enemy, without noticing that there's nothing personal and I happen to agree with some of his ideas.

Oh and Japs was not pejoratory, I just needed a SHORT WORD! :)

[Sandrine]

"i would be interested to know if french readers of this blog, who follow Rocket's comments, are unanimous in their feelings toward him."

I suppose Robert would agree "sur tous les points" with Rocket.

Rocket,

"But that is what your country as a whole has been bitching about the United States for the last 50 years."

I'm speaking of French people living in America. I guess American people would hate to hear that (well except Azloon who is always kind and nice :o)

So Rocket, did you suffer from all these attacks ? Did you feel hurt ? Did you feel like punching those miserable French ? Sans aller jusqu'à cet extrême (lol), I guess you can then start to understand just how we feel. But, you know what ? Fine with me ! Go ahead (as if we could make you stop), but don't cry if sometimes we react strongly.

And when I gave the example of saying that to my neighbours, I could've added "or on blogs about America". Because I actually don't speak to them at all, lol, just the traditional "Hi, how u doin'?".

"I'm saying anything different than your recently elected President and his government have been saying since May 07."

Lol, say that to Valentin ! I personnally never voted for that guy. And never will. Which means that I don't have the same vision of France as him.

But, I have to say that sometimes, the tone counts. And yours is always sharp and disdainful, which is maybe how you always speak. If you could just say it differently you'd have Daniel and Valentin on your side. Because they have more in common with you than you think.

[eygh]

Azloon,

Bashing is not about truth.

Rocket is a basher and he is not the only one on this blog, he is only the one who posts more.

You can find a little bit of truth in the best lies, it doesn't make them any less lies.

Bashing is about selection of facts, manipulation of truths, overgeneralisation and exageration, plus a couple of very ugly character traits like envy, spite, resentment, inferiority complex, ...

This goes for all bashers whatever country they are from. Bashing always says more about the basher's failures and flaws than about the bashee's.

[Valentin]

Sandrine:
"If you could just say it differently you'd have Daniel and Valentin on your side"

I doubt it. Maybe a bit politically (as in, more flexible regulations, more efficient and respectful public service, less political correctness and hypocrisy...)
But it's difficult to have someone on your side when you obviously despise their country, people and specificities while at the same time making money there. (talking about hypocrisy...)

[Daniel Strohl]

Rocket, Azloon and anybody interested

What would be the reaction of typical Americans - and possibly of the American counterpart of our "Renseignements Généraux" - if a French Rocket equivalent (i.e living and working in the US), using exactly the same tone, words and type of argumentation - would deliver his high standing lessons against everything American, on an American blog of a well known paper - anonymously of course?

PS : I have already expressed my point of view on this particular matter, but I repeat hereafter : what disturbs me with Rocket is not what he writes, but that he does it ANONYMOUSLY. For me, this is exactly equivalent to anonymous "délation" (there was an article about "délation" in occupied France during WWII in Charles' blog). I don't like that - this a litotes. But may be I am alone with this point of view ...

[Daniel Strohl]

Richard Jones,

"and will do little to affect France's apogee or perigee in the next years."

Let us hope that it will be an apogee - this would be good for everybody living here - retired or working, and also good for our (small) part of international trade, which is not at high noon right now.

You guessed right about the effect of the divorce - close to nil; I am not quite sure, but there has been a poll saying that 90% of the French are of the opinion that it does not matter. If I got the percentage wrongly on the radio (my ears are no more of the best quality), somebody will probably be able to correct me.

[rocket]

daniel

"if a French Rocket equivalent (i.e living and working in the US), using exactly the same tone, words and type of argumentation - would deliver his high standing lessons against everything American"

It exists. It's called Superfrenchie

surf the net a bit "bitte"!

[azloon]

Daniel -- i have considered your post, opinion of Rocket. etc.

first of all, this is not a american newpaper blog, it is british, so anti-french sentiment is not as remarkable as it would be if this were a blog of a french newspaper, imo. if a french person blogged 'a la rocket' on an american newspaper blog which interested me (none do interest me), i would take exception but i don't think i would 'go bonkers' over it. i have listened to europeans berate the u.s. to my face -- brits and french. it's not pleasant but its not bamboo shoots under the fingernails either. my own opinion is "deal with it." it 's good to know who you have living within your midst. and answer him as cogently and coherently as you can, using your best reasoning to refute his criticism. no personal attacks, even if his approach is a bit 'uneven' (understatement).

but you might find it interesting that i would take serious exception to this equanimity if a muslim advocated violence against the u.s. on a blog of any sort, french, english, or american. i do have my limits. rocket's brand of unpleasantness does not exceed those limits.

p.s. interesting that the french "pretend' not to be concerned about the royal divorce, yet both candidates went to unusual lengths to put out an image of marital harmony during their campaigns.

cheers