STEVE INSKEEP, Host:
And Eleanor Beardsley has been closely watching the French president's love life for us. Eleanor, what did he say?
ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Unknown woman: (Speaking in French).
NICOLAS SARKOZY: (Speaking in French).
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
SARKOZY: (Speaking in French).
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
INSKEEP: Eleanor, you want to translate that for us?
BEARDSLEY: That's right. So that's the journalist, the French journalist, she finally says, you know, public and private life are linked with you. Are you going to get married to Carla Bruni and when?
INSKEEP: Oh.
BEARDSLEY: He talks about their trip to Egypt, which was every Christmas. He talks about them being spotted at Euro Disney. He says, if you think you're being manipulated, don't send your photographers. And then at the end, everyone's waiting, and he goes, but you guessed it. It's very serious. We're serious. But it's not a newspaper who's going to set my wedding date.
INSKEEP: Noticed that he ducked to that question about whether he's getting married or not.
BEARDSLEY: He ducked it but then he said this: but there's a good chance you'll hear about it when it's already done. So now, it's sort of clear that there is going to be a marriage and it's going to be maybe a secret thing and nobody's going to find out until it's done. But he made it clear that they're serious and they're together.
INSKEEP: Are there serious policy implications when the president of France is dating a supermodel?
BEARDSLEY: And then he is going to Saudi Arabia very shortly and he's not taking her there at all because, obviously, an unmarried couple cannot visit Saudi Arabia like that. So it is causing some problems abroad.
INSKEEP: Eleanor, thanks very much.
BEARDSLEY: Thank you, Steve.
INSKEEP: Eleanor Beardsley with the latest from Paris.