Carla’s image is worth 438 pairs of Ray Ban

Sixty thousand euros. This is the fine you could receive for using France’s first lady's image without her authorization. Sixty thousand euros is the equivalent of 46 people earning the minimum wage and working 35 hours a week in France.
For the same amount of money, you can get one and a half Patek Philippe watch –yes, the one that Sarkozy has on his wrist -, and around 438 pairs of Ray Ban aviator sunglasses – yes, the ones he has on his nose.
Already a wealthy heiress – she is the daughter of the late Italian tyre manufacturer Alberto Bruni-Tedeschi -, Carla Bruni won the lawsuit that she and her new husband, Nicolas Sarkozy, had filed last week against Ryanair. The low-cost airline company had used a picture of the couple in an ad for reduced tickets (see precedent post).
The company’s lawyer, Me Taitgen, had reacted to Bruni’s huge request – 500.000 euros- by offering to pay part of it to charity.
Maybe the best thing to do for the new Mrs Sarkozy would effectively be to give the money to a charity organisation. Danielle Mitterrand, Lady Diana and even Bernadette Chirac before her devoted part of their action to help people in need.
Such munificence might also help reconcile President Sarkozy with the French opinion. Three consecutive polls have echoed the dramatic loss of popularity of the man who used to be called the ‘hyperpresident’.

(merci a Liberation d’avoir eu la glorieuse idee de comparer une grosse somme aux objets fetiches du President)