Here we go again. After the duel, to tell the truth from a distance and more of a gossip type, between Cécilia Ciganer-Albéniz (later Mrs. Martin, Sarkozy and now Attias) e Carla Bruni, which followed the position of first ladies of the now former tenant of the Elysée, here is another clash between "women of the president" shakes France.
The umpteenth installment of the saga, after those of Sarkozy which inflamed five years of transalpine public life, this time takes on more properly political and its theater is the Atlantic city of La Rochelle, the decisive constituency of the Poitou-Charentes region where there is voting, as in the rest of France, for the legislative elections. Those, to be clear, who will have to confirm in Parliament (the Assemblée Nationale) the majority obtained by Hollande in the presidential elections.
But at what price, one might say. At the price of a media-political case that is agitating the French press, which didn't have to be asked and immediately jumped on the tempting morsel in the midst of an electoral round that is having little to say other than the announced confirmation of Hollande's majoritywaiting for the second round.
It all started with a clumsy tweet from the president's current girlfriend, Madame Valerie Trierweiler, in which not too implicitly he aimed a dig at Hollande's ex-wife (and socialist candidate for the 2007 presidential elections) Ségolène Royal, candidate for La Rochelle and also president of the Poitou-Charentes region. "Courage to Olivier Falorni - wrote the première dame, referring to the ballot that will see him challenge his rival - who has not at all demerited in the first round (he collected almost 29%, against 32% of Royal, ed), and who has been fighting for years alongside the citizens of La Rochelle, with selfless commitment".
In theory, nothing bad. A respectable personal opinion, corroborated by the experience and expertise of a journalist (a profession which, despite her role at the Elysée, Trierweiler has declared that she will continue to carry out), if it weren't, however, that Falorni is the candidate supported by Martine Aubry, while Royal, as well as being the ex-wife of Trierweiler's current partner, was also supported by him for the candidacy in Parliament.
And here, therefore, that the case also takes on a not indifferent political value, given that Trierweiler, in addition to making a "slash" at her rival, has also openly supported the so-called "dissident" candidate, supported by the Aubry, a leading exponent of the left but not exactly in line with François Hollande, from which she was also cut off from government appointments.
The case could not fail to have a following in the press and in public opinion, which seems to lean rather towards Royal (which immediately defended itself, denouncing "personal attacks"), as well as part of the newspapers, such as Le Monde, which begins an editorial with a subtle irony towards the first lady: “One day it will be necessary to call the jurists, or write it on a Charter, to clarify that a première dame is no longer just any citizen, especially if she uses Twitter?".
The issue has aroused embarrassment within the socialist party itself and the government majority, which fears the first, albeit certainly not catastrophic, own goal by the presidential couple. “Madame Trierweiler should keep a lower profile”, the prime minister said today Jean-Marc Ayrault. The opposition on his part rejoices, and indulges in easy ironies: "Dallas à l'Elysée", is the joke, one of the most popular on French sites, of a deputy of the UMP, with reference to the legendary telenovela years 80s.
Just as there is no shortage of sarcasm in the foreign press, starting with New York Times: “Scene worthy of Molière or Macbeth”, while the UK Daily Telegraph headline: “War of the Roses”, with reference to the bloody English dynastic struggle of the fifteenth century but with a clear allusion to the femininity of the two protagonists and their belonging to the socialist party, whose symbol is precisely a rose.
The message that best summarizes the story, however, comes from stainless steel Marine Le Pen, also via Twitter: “Madame Trierweiler settles her accounts with her partner's ex, accessory President of the Republic. Just pitiful..“. The leader of the Front National then closes with a "ça promet" which can be translated as: "We will see some good ones".
