The entertainment value provided to us by French politicians is a never-ending source of amazement (and hilarity.)  It’s impossible to be bored in this country, which might explain why I’ve lived here for so long.  Only last Friday (it seems so long ago now) we were embroiled in an endless round of bickering concerning….what were we arguing about?? Oh, yes, Dieudonné.

Well, Dieudonné has been eclipsed by a fresh scandal that erupted over the weekend.  It involves Julie Gayet, President Hollande’s second girlfriend.

The presidential dalliance has ignited a new round of radio and television debates (this really is the national sport in France; debates, I mean….well, dalliances too.)  Valid questions emerge that concern the legitimacy of Valerie Trierweiler’s title as First Lady of France. (Ms. Trierweiler, known as “Rottweiler” in some camps, is girlfriend number 1. She and François Hollande are not married and they have separate residences.)

“Who’s the First Lady now?” people are asking.

“Is it normal that she stays at the Elysée at the taxpayers’ expense (20,000 euros a month) while the President is having other relationships?”  

Other, more humorous comments are as follows –

If Ms. Trierweiler were Hollande’s wife, she would always be First Lady.  But she’s not, she’s his mistress and now there’s a second mistress called Julie Gayet!  So who’s the First Lady…Valerie or Julie?  And which one will he take with him to Washington in February?

After being the first president to impose his mistress on us as “First Lady” and set her up with an office, staff, etc. at the expense of the taxpayer, he’s now going to be the first president to bring two First Ladies with him on his travels (interchangeably), as well as being the first polygamous president!   Well, he’s a Socialist….what do you expect?

If every man or woman deceived by a cheating partner had to be hospitalized in this country, they’d have to add 10 million hospital beds.  It would be the ruin of Social Security!

We all thought that with the departure of Sarko and top-model songstress, Carla Bruni, things would die down in the affaires de coeur department.  I guess we were wrong.  It’s almost as if they can’t help themselves.

Addendum:  it appears that President Hollande’s ratings are up as French voters decide that maybe he’s not as boring as they had previously thought.  It’s been said that if he were a British or US politician, he’d be asked to resign.  Why should he resign?  You can’t commit adultery if you’re not married.