法国总统萨科奇离婚

"Desperate Housewives". French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Cecilia have divorced.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Cecilia have divorced, the president's office said on Thursday, ending rampant speculation about the state of their 11-year old marriage.

Sarkozy's spokesman announced earlier in the day that the pair were separating, but hours later clarified the statement to make clear they had "divorced by mutual consent."

The couple's lawyer said they had already seen a judge to formalize the split and agreed financial terms.

"There was no problem, they resolved everything amicably," lawyer Michele Cahen said.

It was the first time in modern French history that a serving president has divorced his wife.

Cecilia played a crucial role in his rise to power, serving as an adviser during his previous stints as interior and finance minister. Sarkozy told his aides that Cecilia was "the only non-negotiable part" of his career.

Cecilia Sarkozy has been increasingly absent from her husband's side since he came to power in May.

Rumors about the marriage intensified this week after a presidential spokesman said Cecilia Sarkozy would skip a state visit to Morocco next week.

Cecilia Sarkozy was a smiling figure at her husband's inauguration in May as she stood with the children. But she has since said the role of a first lady was not something she was comfortable with, and recently, she said she didn't see herself as having any role at all.

"Desperate housewife," Liberation daily said in a headline.

The Sarkozy's relationship first hit the rocks in 2005, when they both had affairs and briefly lived apart.

法国总统办公室于本周四宣布，总统尼古拉斯．萨科奇已与妻子塞西莉亚正式离婚，结束了他们维持11年的婚姻。至此，关于他们婚姻状况的种种猜测终于可以偃旗息鼓了。

萨科奇总统的发言人于当天早些时候发表声明称，萨科奇总统已与妻子塞西莉亚分居。但几小时后，又澄清了之前发布的消息，称他们已“协议离婚”。

据萨科奇夫妇的律师介绍，萨科奇与塞西莉亚已在法官的见证下办理完离婚手续，并就财产分割问题达成了协议。

米歇尔．卡亨律师说：“整个过程很顺利，他们友好地解决了一切问题。”

萨科奇是法国近代历史上首位在任期内离婚的总统。

塞西莉亚在萨科奇攀登法国政坛高峰的道路上起了关键性作用。她曾在萨科奇任内政和财政部长期间担任他的顾问。萨科奇曾对他的助手说塞西莉亚是他“唯一搞不定”的人。

自从萨科奇今年五月当选法国总统以来，塞西莉亚就很少出现在他的身边。

一位总统发言人于本周透露，塞西莉亚将缺席萨科奇下周对摩洛哥的国事访问。这一消息传开后，有关萨科奇夫妇婚变的传闻愈演越烈。

今年五月，塞西莉亚笑容可掬地与孩子们一同出现在萨科奇的总统就职仪式上。但之后，她说自己并不喜欢第一夫人这个角色。近日，她又说自己这个“第一夫人”根本就是个摆设。

《解放日报》在一篇报道的标题中称塞西莉亚为“绝望主妇”。

2005年，萨科奇与塞西莉亚的婚姻出现裂痕，当时他俩都有了外遇，并分居了一小段时间。

live apart:分居