French newspaper says Sarkozy might have wed Bruni
PARIS (Reuters) - A French newspaper reported on Monday that President Nicolas Sarkozy might have married his new girlfriend Carla Bruni last week, but the mother of the former Italian supermodel said she was unaware of any secret nuptials.
Regional daily l'Est Republicain quoted a source close to someone who "attended the ceremony" as saying that Sarkozy and Bruni married last Thursday at the Elysee presidential palace.
"Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni reportedly got married on Thursday at the Elysee," the paper said on its website.
Sarkozy's press office declined to comment on the report and Bruni's mother told Reuters she had not heard of any wedding.
"I don't know, I am not aware of anything. I have just seen Carla and she didn't mention anything," said Marisa Bruni, speaking by telephone.
"It could be, anything is possible. Maybe they got married without inviting anyone, but I think that if that was the case the Elysee would have made an announcement," she added.
Marisa Bruni met Sarkozy when he visited Italy in December and she told reporters earlier this month that the French president had proposed to her daughter.
Sarkozy, who divorced his second wife in October, told a news conference last week that his relationship with Bruni was "serious", but declined to be drawn on a possible wedding date.
"There's a good chance you'll find out about it when it's already happened," he said.
There was wild speculation in Paris last Thursday that Sarkozy was marrying that day, but there was no confirmation of the reports. The president flew for an official visit to Saudi Arabia at the weekend and was in Qatar on Monday.
L'Est Republicain, which had close ties to Sarkozy's former wife Cecilia, gave no details about the reported wedding ceremony, saying only that it was "very small" and "intimate".
Weddings in France cannot normally be kept secret but the newspaper said wedding banns do not necessarily have to be officially published if a state prosecutor gives special dispensation.
"In all likelihood this is what happened in this case," it said.
The newspaper speculated that Sarkozy might take Bruni with him on an official visit to India scheduled for this month.
According to a separate media report, two men have been arrested for threatening Sarkozy's 10-year-old son, who is being looked after by Cecilia.
The website of Le Point magazine said the men had obtained the mobile phone number of Louis Sarkozy and had phoned the number on numerous occasions to threaten him. Quoting police sources, it said the men would be tried next month.
(Additional reporting by Silvia Aloisi in Rome; Editing by Caroline Drees)
