French Political Gossip Is So Much More Fun


Although Intel Noreen likes French culture as much as the next fille, she normally does not get jealous when told that the French parent better than we do, or tie a neck scarf better, or do better at not getting fat. She shrugs happily through her haze of strewn Big Mac wrappers, helicoptered toddlers, and dickie turtlenecks, all of which make her American soul tremble with patriotism. But every once in a while, something not wrapped in a box from Ladurée comes along that makes her long for a more French way of life. Usually, it involves political scandale, which they do so much better over there. For instance, just lately, there has been a Twitter spat of epic proportions involving Valérie Trierweiler, girlfriend of new French president Francois Hollande.

Trierweiler, a journalist who went from writing for Paris Match to seeing her affair covered in the publication, tweeted out her support for a candidate in a regional election who was not officially supported by Hollande. Who cares about endorsements, you might be thinking — except the candidate in question was running against glamorous politician Segolene Royal, who, before Hollande took up with Trierweiler, was Hollande's partner for three decades, and with whom he has children. How do you say "oh snap!" en francais?