President Clouseau

François Hollande got soaking wet riding to his presidential inauguration (not to be America-centric, but I don’t know what the French call it) in an open roofed Citroen in the rain. And Carla Bruni, in a stunning “dis” to her husband’s successor, wore casual pants at the ceremony. Those are the two most striking impressions from the Daily Mail’s photo spread.

Like Inspector Clouseau without the sang froid and
the savoir faire: France’s soaking wet new president
shakes hands with a veteran at the Arc de Triomphe.

I don’t have a photo from the movie at the moment, but no one could forget the scene from A Shot in the Dark where Inspector Clouseau’s car pulls up in front of a chateau, Clouseau gets out and as he shuts the door he falls backward into a fountain. Clouseau then enters the house in his dripping wet hat and trench coat, and with complete self-possession and a touch of Gallic indignation says to the host:

I’m sorry, my idiot driver parked too close to the fountain.

Then there’s this:

Right, that’s what you wear to the inauguration of your husband’s
successor as the President of France. But when the new
president is Jacques Clouseau, who’s going to mind?

- end of initial entry -

Paul K. writes:

One striking impression I get from the photo spread is that Carla’s face appears to have been pulled and stitched into a fixed, unchanging smile.

Matthew S. writes:

Based on how saturated Hollande appears in those photos, perhaps “President Cousteau” would be appropriate.

Paul K. writes:

More on President Clouseau: As he was flying to Germany for a meeting with Angela Merkel today, his plane was struck by lightning and had to turn back.

Let’s hope some positive omens are on the way.

Timothy A. writes:

Reading the Daily Mail article with the current and former first couples of France got me thinking. Sarkozy’s father was Hungarian. Bruni is (was?) Italian. Hollande, according to an unimpeachable source (Wikipedia) is the descendant of 16th century Calvinist immigrants to France from Holland. Hollande’s “domestic partner” is named Trierweiler—a German name (unfortunately for my hypothesis, this is her married name). I am ready to declare France a proposition nation.

LA replies:

But don’t the French themselves consider France a proposition nation?

Posted by Lawrence Auster at May 15, 2012 11:06 AM | Send