More of this ‘truth’ is revealed with each interview. A few days ago the former Mrs. Sarkozy confided to Elle magazine. She said she “felt guilty” following her separation from Nicolas Sarkozy, but described the break as “a totally personal approach. What has happened to us is a banale, it just so happens that my husband was president. But it wasn’t courage – it was what I needed to do to feel right with myself”.
Today, in the daily Nice-Matin the former First Lady of France made further revelations. Installed in the United States with her new husband, Richard Attias, she admits that the situation was far from being a cakewalk for her husband. “It’s hard to be the ex. For my husband , Richard Attias, it was even harder. Then I felt very guilty. He took full force of it. That’s why we left immediately. People cancelled his contracts, he lost his job. He was producer of Davos (World Economic Forum) for fifteen years, but Davos thanked him on our wedding day. He has rebuilt himself and things are going well but it has been very tough.”
Keen on the front pages, Nicolas Sarkozy revealed a great deal at the beginning of his term in 2007. The transparency shown by the former president did not affect his ex-wife. “It’s part of what you get with Nicolas. He said things. He gave all his trust to journalists. He completely indulged himself.”
Although an immigrant overseas with her children, Cecilia Attias hasn’t forgotten her country and now, from outside, has her view on French politics. “There are reforms needed in France, but to do so we must stop constantly bitching about all the measures to be taken. Nicolas failed, he may not have got the shape right, but he had made the right diagnosis. France is a country that is not doing well and actions have to be taken, even if they are unpopular.”
The aspiring writer also spoke about the role of the First Lady in France, a role now taken by Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. “In the United States, the First Lady has a proper office and funds voted on by Congress. Why not do the same in France? If she wants to pursue her business life or raise children, she can do that and still accompany her spouse in this wonderful adventure.”
Not always spared by critics, Cécilia Sarkozy has indeed turned the page. She wants to tell “the truth of what I experienced” and chose a political downtime to publish her memoirs “because it is the right time. I do not know the intentions of my ex- husband for 2017, but I have published the book now so as not to upset anyone”.
As for Nicolas, he read the book before its release and wished her “good luck”.
