Carla Bruni sat down with a panel of interviewers from Le Parisien to address, among other things, rumors that she is with child.
We've translated an excerpt below. It begins with a description of the 43-year-old French first lady: "She hides her tummy with her shawl whenever a photographer approaches, she does not deny it when asked the question off microphone."
PATRICIA DIOMANDE. There are rumors, and we've heard many things....Are you expecting a baby?
CARLA BRUNI: That was nicely asked. If I may, I will not answer all these familial questions. I have a little boy, too, and I do not answer questions about him. If we were both at a cafe, I would tell you frankly. Why don't I answer? I'll tell you. Nearly 180 percent of the time my husband is occupied by his country. He speaks only about that, he only does that, he is obsessed with it. Unfortunately for me, and fortunately for everyone else (laughs)! When I talk about something else, it takes precedence over everything he does. I'd like to talk woman to woman, about my family, my personal dreams, details of certain things. And also, I am very talkative. But [because of his circumstances], my lips are sealed. Not out of arrogance or for a taste for secrecy; I'm mum to protect something and to protect all of the work he does. Because there are newspapers that are only interested in [me being pregnant], which is normal. Me too, when I read things on other people's lives, I'm interested (laughs). But it takes such a priority. Also, it doesn't protect the family. It's not even to protect my privacy, which is also a curious idea. I would really love to talk, but after, that takes up the entire space. And it involves other people. So I don't answer.
JEAN-CLAUDE BION. So we'll know in six months?
CARLA BRUNI: (Laughter.) Yes ... (Laughter.) I wish I was more relaxed with these issues. But it is my husband's job that multiplies things by 100,000 and that turns a kind of small fish into a whale.But the French care whether the president will have another child...
CARLA BRUNI: You think? You don't think that they care about their lives? They have so many worries.PATRICIA DIOMANDE. This would be a first, that the wife of a president in office is pregnant.
CARLA BRUNI: Personal life in these situations takes backseat, believe me. Even I, who am selfish like everyone else, I observed that my life came second.How do you balance your status as first lady and your privacy?
CARLA BRUNI: It's not that hard. Already, every day, I don't have a schedule like most women who spend forty-five minutes on the subway, run their children to day care or struggle to find a nanny. I have a son who is still young, in elementary school (note: Aurélien, age 9), but I have help. In addition, I have my family who is in France, my mother and one grandmother of my son (note: the mother of Raphael Enthoven). So yes, there are official meetings that take all day and sometimes all night. But we don't spend our time crying. We'll have our free time later.
So, there you have it. If you manage to make a lunch date with Carla, she'll totally tell you whether she's pregnant. Otherwise, you'll find out in November, when she either does or doesn't give birth. Seems reasonable.