Sarkozy affair beyond the pale

Published on Saturday 19 January 2008 19:15

The French attitude to sex is often thought of as extremely laissez-faire but the country has a very moralistic side.

As minister of the interior, Nicolas Sarkozy brought in laws which saw a crackdown on prostitutes on the streets.

There are also tough laws controlling pornography and one of the most aggressive law-enforcement campaigns against child pornography in Europe.

The country has historically tolerated extramarital sex by its public officials but Sarkozy's relationship with former model Carla Bruni has seen him lose popularity on a dramatic scale.

The public weren't perturbed that the president's 11-year marriage ended in divorce in October after his wife, Cecilia, left him for the second time. But for some commentators, opposition politicians and ordinary Frenchmen, tabloid photos of Sarkozy and Bruni in love lack taste – and suggest his mind is definitely not on matters of state.