London: France's glamorous First Lady
Carla Bruni, often accused of meddling in the state's affairs,
has now landed into a "nepotism" controversy, after her son's
godfather was recently given a top government job.
Francois Baudot, a 60-year-old former interior
designer friend of Bruni's for 15 years, has been appointed as
France's new Inspector General of Cultural Affairs despite the
government appointment's commission initially deciding that he
was not suitable for the job, the 'Le Point' reported.
But, then the commission changed its mind after
its members were informed that President Nicolas Sarkozy, his
Prime Minister Francois Fillon and Culture Minister Frederic
Mitterrand all backed Baudot for the 4,500 pounds-a-month new
post, according to the leading French news magazine.
However, the magazine has also admitted that Baudot
-- a former government commissioner for France's museums and
monuments -- had a "pretty good CV for the new job", British
newspaper 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.
Last month, a Reader's Digest poll found 48 percent
of people in France believed the former supermodel was "very
influential" in her husband's policy-making.
And two months before that Bruni was described
by France's leading society magazine 'Point de Vue' as the new
Marie-Antionette, who had bewitched President Sarkozy with her
socialist views.
Some leading members of Sarkozy's own UMP party were
reported to have told the President that he was "under his
wife's thumb" and causing him a catalogue of problems. One MP
even told the 'l'Express' news magazine in October: "She is
responsible for most of the head of state's woes."
PTI
First Published: Monday, December 28, 2009, 13:34