French President Francois Hollande faced the press for nearly three hours on Tuesday but refused to answer questions about reports of an affair with an actress.
Hollande said only that he and his partner, France’s official First Lady Valerie Trierweiler, were going through a “difficult and painful period.” He insisted, “I have one principle, and that is private matters should be dealt with privately.”
Trierweiler was admitted to hospital, reportedly suffering from shock and depression, after a celebrity magazine reported Friday on Hollande’s alleged trysts with actress Julie Gayet. The magazine Closer published several photographs of a man on the back of a scooter, said to be the president on his way to visit the actress at a borrowed apartment, where he reportedly spent the night.
Asked how Trierweiler was doing, Hollande’s reply was frosty. “She’s resting. That’s all I will say,” he said.
In his opening remarks, which lasted 40 minutes and covered a wide range of subjects, Hollande unveiled plans to guarantee “France’s place in the world.”
He pledged to boost employment and economic growth, as well as to make nearly $89 billion in cuts to public spending by 2017. He said he would reduce taxes and red tape for French companies in return for promises that they would create more jobs, especially for the young. And he said he would introduce measures to save money by cutting the “excess and abuse” in the country’s health system.
He also spoke of forging closer ties with Germany, including a possible military alliance between the countries.
A handful of journalists tried to ask questions about what the French and international media are calling the “Hollande affair,” but the president cut them short.
An Associated Press reporter remarked that Hollande would be making a number of foreign trips, including one to the United States in February to meet President Obama, and asked if the recent scandal would tarnish his image.
“In France, we have a certain number of principles,” Holland replied. “They are respect for private lives and our liberty and conception of the press. That is what we have … a certain number of values and principles.”
However, Hollande did say earlier that he would “clarify” the official position of Trierweiler, who was expected to accompany him on the trip to Washington, before leaving France.
法国总统奥朗德将在下个月出访美国，届时他将带“旧爱”瓦莱丽•特里耶韦莱还是“新欢”朱莉•加耶出行呢？综合外国媒体1月14日报道，奥朗德在当天的新闻发布会上拒绝回应偷情传闻，但他表示将在2月出访美国前澄清瓦莱丽的地位。法国一名博主日前透露，加耶已经怀孕4个月。瓦莱丽“第一女友”的头衔似乎岌岌可危。
***奥朗德拒绝回应
奥朗德14日称，他和女友瓦莱丽经历了一个“艰难和痛苦的时期”，“每个人都会在私生活里经受考验，我们也一样”。
他强调，“我有一个原则，私事要私下处理。”他坚称，现在“既不是时候也不是地方”来回答私生活问题，“出于对相关人士的尊重”无法回应传闻。
瓦莱丽在获悉奥朗德偷情后极度震惊，已经入院接受治疗。在被问到瓦莱丽的健康状况时，奥朗德冷冰冰地说：“她在休息，其他无可奉告。”
据英国《每日电讯报》爆料，奥朗德私会加耶时甩掉了保镖，为偷欢甘冒生命危险。对此，奥朗德回应称，“不管是官方出行还是私人出行，我都受到了严密保护。”
不过，奥朗德也表示，将在2月11日访美前给出一个说法，向外界交代清楚谁是“第一女友”。届时，我们也将了解这位风流总统最终情归何处。
***“新欢”疑有孕
据英国《每日邮报》报道，法国一名博主日前在推特上透露，加耶据称已经怀孕4个月，预计今年6月将为总统添丁。瓦莱丽尽管与奥朗德相恋7年，却没有生下一儿半女。
该博主称消息来源是法国M6电视新闻频道的一名记者，并称该消息是从与奥朗德亲近人士处获得的。不过法国M6电视新闻频道的发言人对传闻予以否认。
法国官方则拒绝对加耶怀孕的消息给出回应。
如果消息属实，对瓦莱丽而言无疑是当头一棒。英国前保守党议员路易斯•门施嘲笑说：“法国博主发布消息人士的话说加耶怀孕4个月了，那么瓦莱丽显然不再是第一女友了。”
***罗雅尔报“一箭之仇”
另据报道，为奥朗德与加耶牵线搭桥的竟是其前女友罗雅尔。
罗雅尔与奥朗德交往30年，共同育有4个孩子。几年前，瓦莱丽横刀夺爱，从罗雅尔身边抢走了奥朗德。瓦莱丽去年还发微博力挺罗雅尔的竞争对手。两人势同水火。
在当天的新闻发布会上，奥朗德承诺促进就业和经济发展，修复与德国的关系，竭尽所能维持“法国世界大国的地位”。
