Valerie Trierweiler will not be standing by her man. The embattled President Francois Hollande has been at the center of a major scandal involving an affair with actress Julie Gayet. Now it has been reported that Hollande’s partner, Valerie Trierweiler, has left him.
He and the First Lady were going through some “painful moments” after the story broke, and it seems that Trierweiler is unable to endure the scandal any longer. Trierweiler had in fact been hospitalized after learning about the affair.
According to French magazine Closer, which broke the story, the president had been having an affair with Gayet for two years. The president threatened legal action, while refusing to confirm or deny the truth of the allegations. The fact that the first lady has moved out has only served to increase speculation.
Hollande was quoted as saying to Agence France-Presse, “I wish to make it known that I have ended my shared life (partnership) with Valerie Trierweiler”.
Trierweiler made her farewells via twitter:
Toute ma gratitude va à l'extraordinaire personnel de l'Elysée. Je n'oublierai jamais son dévouement ni l'émotion au moment du départ.
— Valerie Trierweiler (@valtrier) January 25, 2014
She wrote, “All my gratitude goes to the extraordinary people at the Élysées. I will never forget the devotion or emotion at the time of leaving,”
The 59-year-old president’s ratings have gone down drastically since being elected. However, the dissatisfaction of the French people is chiefly due to Hollande’s leadership.
French pollster Ifop with Le Journal du Dimanche asked citizens how they felt about the president after the cheating scandal and amazingly 80% did not have a difference of opinion.
This is to say that many people chose to like or dislike him as a leader based on his actions in office rather than his personal life. This is a stark contrast to American politics where a politician’s job skills and moral image are practically one and the same.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
