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Any quotes used must credit Sky News In an exclusive interview, the French President’s wife Mrs Carla Bruni-Sarkozy tells Sky News presenter Anna Botting about her life as France’s First Lady. Speaking from her home in Paris, the French President’s wife spoke frankly about her relationship with President Sarkozy, while speculation sweeps the French media that both are having affairs,

Further transcript of the Sky News interview with Carla Bruni-Sarkozy 

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

We just met at a dinner party. 

ANNA BOTTING:

And was it love at first sight?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

Yes, it was matching at the first sight, yes. 

ANNA BOTTING:

What is it do you think that draws you to him?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

I don't know.  What draws us to people? We don't know, maybe it is our subconscious, maybe it’s timing, maybe it’s ‘hazard’, maybe there are things that you cannot really always explain. 

ANNA BOTTING:

It was a fairly swift romance wasn’t it, what made you so sure?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

What is swift?

ANNA BOTTING:

Quick.  

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

Oh quick.

ANNA BOTTING:

It was quick.

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

It was quick. 

ANNA BOTTING:

How did you know, you called it a coup de foudre did you or something?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

It was quick, maybe from the outside.  From the inside it was right the way, not quick.  It was there so I don't know how I knew.

ANNA BOTTING:

Because you’ve not been married before.

 

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

No, no, I was never married before.

 

ANNA BOTTING:

I just wonder why you knew this one was the right one to get married to.

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

Well it was not really the right one to get married to because of his job, you know, I had hesitation.  No, it is hard to explain, it was not possible to be with him without being married, it was unbearable for public opinion which I do understand, you know.  It was not about, hey, let’s date …at that time being the President we had to do it fast to sort of calm the people down, you know.

ANNA BOTTING:

In terms of being First Lady, what are the benefits and what are the drawbacks to that position?

 

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

There are no benefits for me.  The admiration you can get from being in this position is actually something that comes from my husband. I like to be admired, I am like every human being but only for what I do.

ANNA BOTTING:

So you became a model at the age of, what, 19, are you still interested in fashion?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

Yes, I like fashion, yes, it’s like an old family for me.  It is very easy for me when I have a public occasion, when I have a public obligation, then I must represent France, so I want to be elegant so for France to be well represented, but with all my friends in the fashion business it is very easy for me to find clothes and to wear some clothes, and I don’t have to shop, I just borrow the clothes, basically, and I wear them and I hope people are going to like it but that’s it. 

ANNA BOTTING:

You talked about having had therapy after having left the fashion world, why was that necessary for you because I understand you still have therapy as well, is it something you feel that you need to carry on having?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

I think therapy for me was useful for me as a person not as a model or as whatever, it’s just therapy was, is a way of seeing life and it brings you to yourself in a healthy way.  It is very useful right now in this new position because during all life you think that it is somebody else’s fault then life is a misery.

ANNA BOTTING:

So leaving fashion you began to pursue a career in music, is that something you really feel you can still manage given what you do now?  Some people might say it is quite a clash actually being First Lady of France and still being a singer songwriter. 

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

Oh no, I can manage.  The First Lady part is like a parentheses for me, it is not a professional life, it is just a position, I do it because of him but I am not projecting myself into this sort of life.  So the only projection I have is the song writing, yes. 

ANNA BOTTING:

Do you have to be too careful of straying into political life in France?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

I never get in to political life.

ANNA BOTTING:

Is it easy to avoid, because you must talk with your husband about issues but is that …

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

When my husband comes back at night we talk about personal stuff.

ANNA BOTTING:

So he leaves the office back at the office?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

Oh yes, that’s why we don't live at the office as well, that’s why we live here. It is a cut for him, you know, he comes home so we naturally really don’t talk so much about politics.  He tells me what he has been doing during the day and I tell him what I’ve been doing, like any couple I would say. I really am not interested in politics and also I don’t know anything about it, so in between ignorance and boredom you know I really don’t get into it.  You know, it’s a job, it’s not something that you improvise.

ANNA BOTTING:

So what is life like for you?  You obviously don’t live all the time at the Elysee Palace or …

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

We never live at the Elysee Palace.

ANNA BOTTING:

Even at weekends?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

Sometimes on Sunday when we have the children, yes, or when we have a dinner, sort of an official dinner, then we do it there because the people like to be there, to be invited there, they are honoured and it is also great because it is a palace, beautiful magnificent palace, so people like to be invited there better than me cooking spaghetti here but I do it for the people when we invite, so sometimes on a Saturday night we stay at the Elysee but most of the time we are here.

ANNA BOTTING:

So you have decided to bring your life to a private residence?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

No, I was living here and my husband liked the house and you said yourself when you came what a pretty house.

ANNA BOTTING:

It is a beautiful house, yes.

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:

So we are lucky to have this house so it was very natural.

ANNA BOTTING:
Is that part of trying to put your own stamp on your new marriage because here you are, newly married to a man who is President of France, no doubt working flat out, I just wondered what sort of quality time you get together with each other.

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:
Every night we’re together, every weekend, every holiday so we’re like a normal couple. Many people are working hard. 

ANNA BOTTING:
You have talked about your wish to have another child.  I mean I know it is not always easy but is that something you still would like?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:
Yes, but it’s not easy.  They make a woman believe that we can have children just like men do until a certain age, that’s not true and sometimes when I see a woman who is 35 years old and she thinks she has time, I am surprised.  It is something coming from the magazines, you know. 

ANNA BOTTING:
In terms of the things you do, obviously you are continuing to be a singer songwriter and I had read, and you might want to correct me about this as well, that you were going to be in a film with Woody Allen, is that correct?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:
Yes, that is true.

ANNA BOTTING:
So that’s adding another string to your bow, certainly.  Have you filmed it yet, are you nervous about becoming an actress?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:
It is only I think a few days of shooting, I don't think it will be a major part in the film and in terms of the experience, as an artist but also for my song writing and just for my pleasure, I’m looking forward to it, yes.

ANNA BOTTING:
Does your husband ever veto any of these things?  Do you have to run them past him beforehand?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:
Oh no,  he is the most encouraging person I ever met in my life, yes, very much, I must say.  He is as encouraging as his job is discouraging, just to give you an idea.

ANNA BOTTING:
Do you find that your new life and your old life clash?  We talked about when you came to Britain …

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:
Last visit. 

ANNA BOTTING:
Well hopefully you’ll come again.

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:
I loved it.

ANNA BOTTING:
But only that day or the day before, I don’t remember exactly, there were nude photographs of you for sale.

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:
Just one.

ANNA BOTTING:
One, but flatteringly it made $91,000, that’s quite flattering isn’t it?  But nonetheless do you feel that …

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:
You know, the flattering thing is that I was 22 in the picture, it’s always nice to have a picture when you are 18 and I was 22, people thought I was still like that!  It’s a lie.  I thought, at least I was 22. 

ANNA BOTTING:
But you are famous, aren’t you, for dating some of the world’s famous men, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, do you kind of miss that free rock and roll lifestyle that we presume you had?

CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY:
No, they don’t have such a rock and life, it’s more rock and roll now.  I would say it’s punk now.  What rock and roll means to me is you’re on a boat and it’s rocking and rolling so it is a very boat term, rock and roll, then it became music.  Yes, I think it’s kind of rock and rollish right now, yes. 

-Ends-

 

For further information and screen grabs please contact:

Anna Bifield

Acting Publicity Manager Sky News

Tel: 0207 800 4341

Mob: 07824 824 834

Charlotte Reed

Publicist

Tel: 0207 7033417

07920027829

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