Royal rupture
LUXEMBOURG: Despite the French media's much-vaunted respect for the private lives of politicians, the papers are full of the split-up between the defeated Socialist presidential candidate, Segolene Royal, and her long-time partner, Francois Hollande, the party's general secretary.
The big headline across the Parisien is "La Rupture". This could have a big political impact as the two are struggling for the party's soul and perhaps its leadership. As I pointed out rather coyly during the French election, it's already had a disastrous effect on the socialist campaign.
It's one of those tricky areas between the personal and the political. As it happens, I (personally) agree with many of those commenters on my blog entry about Sarkozy who said that we should keep our noses out of people's private lives. But I fail to see how a man appearing in front of journalists at a big public event is in any sense "in private", and in this particular case Madame Royal announced the split herself on French radio.
I’m Mark Mardell, the BBC's North America editor. These are my reflections on American politics, some thoughts on being a Brit living in the USA, and who knows what else? My 
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The private and the public? Hollande and Royal are in the public by position, juxtaposition and relationship.
It's a given that to a larger degree than would be normal, their private is political.
On a more basic note: Hollande is an idiot to be with any woman but Royal. It goes to show the great distance between the man's pants and his brains.
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Typical France will follow like all the others but on their own terms. Britain had Margaret Thatcher, Germany has Ms Merkel, now it's France's turn as long as Ms Segolene Royal does not fall into the same trap as Jeanne d'Arc.
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Please remember that only our 'leaders' in England agreed to join EU .. NOT the public
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