'Faint' Sarkozy Hospitalized After Jog

Nicolas Sarkozy has left the building

(NEWSER) - France today installed Socialist Francois Hollande as its new president for the next five years, replacing conservative Nicolas Sarkozy with a mandate to ease up on the austerity measures with which Europe has fought its economic crisis. Hollande, the first Socialist to have access to France's nuke codes in 17 years, promptly called for "compromise" in Germany's stripped down approach to the crisis, reports the BBC . He'll name a prime minister and fly to Berlin this afternoon to face the music—and Angela Merkel, who supported Sarkozy—there. More»

(NEWSER) - French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy just loves her fleurs and she's often photographed arranging blooms in the Elysée Palace. Problem is, the flowers are costing French taxpayers $1,100 a day, and they want the spending nipped in the bud. The blooming bills were revealed in the first state audit of a French leader's spending habits since the days of Louis XVI. Carla and hubby Nicolas also blew $5,000 in late fees for tardy payments of electric and gas bills. More»

France's first lady brings rare mix to Elysée Palace

(NEWSER) - Michelle Obama just moved into the White House, but America’s first lady could teach a few things to her more veteran French counterpart, confesses Carla Bruni in Vogue. “I fell into my husband’s life from another world,” explains the model-turned-singer, who's been the French first lady for about a year. “Michelle Obama would probably have more advice for me than I have for her.” More»

Candidate holds meeting, press conference with 'pal' Sarkozy

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama has arrived in Paris, where the candidate is holding talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy before a joint news conference. Sarkozy rushed back from a summit in the southwest of France to meet Obama at the presidential palace, reports AP. The two first met in 2006 when Sarkozy was running for president and visited Washington. More»

Whirlwind romance culminates in Elysee Palace ceremony

(NEWSER) - Nicolas Sarkozy has finally made an honest woman out of his supermodel-cum-singer girlfriend, Reuters says. The French president married Carla Bruni, 40, today at the Elysee Palace in a hush-hush ceremony atypical for the usually public couple. The mayor of a Paris district who officiated the nuptials said the bride was “ravishing,” adding, “the bridegroom wasn’t bad either.” More»