French President Sarkozy to sue Ryanair over ad

Nicolas Sarkozy threatens to sue Ryanair

By Henry Samuel in Paris

Nicolas Sarkozy has threatened to sue the airline Ryanair over an advertisement featuring a photograph of the French president with Carla Bruni, his girlfriend.

The advertisement, in Le Parisien newspaper, shows the Mr Sarkozy and Miss Bruni staring happily upwards, in the style of a magazine photo-story.

A caption next to Miss Bruni, 40, reads: "With Ryanair, my whole family can come to my wedding."

The advertisement comes after weeks of speculation that the pair - who met in November - are to marry, or had even been married in a private service in Paris.

Aides said the advertisement was "an improper use" of the president's image, while David Martinon, his spokesman, said: "We are looking at all possible legal venues because this is unacceptable."

Matthieu Glasson, Ryanair's marketing manager for France, apologised for offending the president but said: "We are surprised because if you look at the ad, the photo shows both of them in quite a positive light: they are smiling, we aren't making them say anything stupid."

Mr Sarkozy is making a concerted effort to be more discreet about his private life, after his much-publicised courtship of his Italian lover began to damage his ratings.

While on a trip to India last weekend ?- where he visited the Taj Mahal without Miss Bruni ?- the president refused to comment on her absence, saying they had decided to remain silent about their relationship.

But in the same breath he confirmed that he would not go "alone" to the Beijing Olympics this summer, and that he would probably turn up "accompanied" to Britain for a state visit in March, where he is due to stay at Windsor castle.

Mr Sarkozy, who turned 53 on Monday, told journalists that his relationship with Miss Bruni was "serious" and suggested they planned to marry.

Quote:

Nicolas Sarkozy threatens to sue Ryanair

By Henry Samuel in Paris

Nicolas Sarkozy has threatened to sue the airline Ryanair over an advertisement featuring a photograph of the French president with Carla Bruni, his girlfriend.

The advertisement, in Le Parisien newspaper, shows the Mr Sarkozy and Miss Bruni staring happily upwards, in the style of a magazine photo-story.

A caption next to Miss Bruni, 40, reads: "With Ryanair, my whole family can come to my wedding."

The advertisement comes after weeks of speculation that the pair - who met in November - are to marry, or had even been married in a private service in Paris.

Aides said the advertisement was "an improper use" of the president's image, while David Martinon, his spokesman, said: "We are looking at all possible legal venues because this is unacceptable."

Matthieu Glasson, Ryanair's marketing manager for France, apologised for offending the president but said: "We are surprised because if you look at the ad, the photo shows both of them in quite a positive light: they are smiling, we aren't making them say anything stupid."

Mr Sarkozy is making a concerted effort to be more discreet about his private life, after his much-publicised courtship of his Italian lover began to damage his ratings.

While on a trip to India last weekend ?- where he visited the Taj Mahal without Miss Bruni ?- the president refused to comment on her absence, saying they had decided to remain silent about their relationship.

But in the same breath he confirmed that he would not go "alone" to the Beijing Olympics this summer, and that he would probably turn up "accompanied" to Britain for a state visit in March, where he is due to stay at Windsor castle.

Mr Sarkozy, who turned 53 on Monday, told journalists that his relationship with Miss Bruni was "serious" and suggested they planned to marry.