France’s lovelorn First Lady is ready to forgive the President for allegedly cheating on her with an actress, a friend said yesterday.
But Valerie Trierweiler, 48, has stayed in hospital recovering from the shock of the claim, leaving socialist Francois Hollande fighting for his political life on the eve of a career-defining speech today.
A source close to her said: “She seems ready to forgive. She will not slam the door on a whim, but wants to know quickly Francois Hollande’s intentions.”
And so does France, which no longer regards the claim as a private matter.
Journalist Ms Trierweiler had been due to leave hospital yesterday as critics accused her of using her health to pressure the President into disowning alleged mistress Julie Gayet, 41.
She is said to have collapsed of “shock and exhaustion” after he is said to have confessed to hopping on the back of a moped in secret to visit his actress lover.
Ms Trierweiler has been the socialist president’s partner for six years after the pair left their own partners for each other.
Now she is being accused of desperately trying to hang on to her status and Elysee Palace office, with a personal staff of five and homes, jets and limousines at her disposal.
She also hopes to join Hollande on a state visit to meet US President Barack Obama and American First Lady Michelle, whom she considers a friend.
But France is split as to whether she should stay as First Lady. And the President, one of the most unpopular of recent years, is under pressure to clarify his position today with the world watching.
MP Jean-Christophe Lagarde said: “She is not the wife of the president of the Republic. She plays the role of the First Lady of France, when it appears there is another first lady. The situation needs to be clarified very rapidly.”
And a Le Parisien reporter who said he spoke to Ms Trierweiler on the phone said: “She knows if she is no longer First Lady, she cannot continue to have an office in the Elysee on state funds.”
That will be uppermost in Hollande’s mind today as he announces his plans to save the cash-strapped French economy.