Coming soon: Sarkozy’s love songs

Carla Bruni, new girlfriend of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, is planning to immortalise their affair with a new album of love songs. The Italian singer and model, who spent last week in Egypt on holiday with Sarko, plans to release the album in August and is already booking dates for a world tour.

A source at Bruni's record label said: "Carla isn't the kind to give up on her music career because she's in love with Sarkozy or because of anything else. Singing is the biggest thing in her life now, private life excluded."

The French media have reported that Sarko has asked Bruni - who has reportedly taken to wearing flat shoes to avoid towering over the petit president - to marry him and live in the Elysee Palace. "It's not certain that Bruni would accept the job," says Christine Clerc, a political analyst. "She wouldn't be the star any more; she'd become 'the wife of' and she'd have to represent France. The French would expect her to be more than the most beautiful and elegant woman on show." (Continued below)

Sarko's colourful private life is attracting increasing criticism in the French press. Commenting on his most recent trip Midi Libre, a Montpellier newspaper, said: "There is an obvious lack of decency in these very nouveau riche presidential holidays." Heavyweight daily Le Monde agreed, concluding that Sarkozy is "more Berlusconi than de Gaulle".