PARIS (AFP) - French newspapers reported Monday that President Nicolas Sarkozy is romancing supermodel-turned-pop singer Carla Bruni, just two months after his divorce.
Sarkozy, 52, and Bruni, 38, were photographed together at the Disneyland theme park near Paris on Saturday, although none of the photos showed them any closer than shoulder-to-shoulder.
The Elysee Palace would not comment on the photographs, but LExpress magazine editor Christophe Barbier told French television that Bruni -- who has in the past dated rock stars Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton -- confirmed to him that she is romantically involved with Sarkozy.
"She told me that the publicity surrounding this story did not bother her and that from now on, it would become an affair, a public love story," he told LCI television.
"We must now wait and see how far the president will go in presenting Carla Bruni officially" as his companion, Barbier added.
Bruni, who will be 39 on Sunday, was born in Italy and is the heiress to a tyre manufacturing fortune. An elegant brunette, she was a top fashion model before turning to pop music. She has a young son from a relationship with philosopher Raphael Enthoven.
Sarkozy has two sons from his first marriage and one son from his 11-year marriage to Cecilia Sarkozy, which ended in a much publicised divorce in October.
He is the first French president to divorce while in office.
"Carla Bruni and Sarkozy are out in the open," wrote the popular Le Parisien newspaper on its front page that featured one of the photos of the couple.
The rightwing newspaper Le Figaro ran a photo of Bruni under the headline "Carla Bruni, the presidents companion". It said that "the presence of Sarkozy and Carla Bruni in such a public place suggests that they do not intend to specifically hide themselves."
The photos are to be published this week in the popular celebrity magazines Closer, Paris Match and Point de Vue, which splashed the headline: "Carla Bruni: the presidents queen of hearts."
"Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni wanted their relationship to be known, otherwise I do not see why they would have gone to EuroDisney to watch the Mickey Mouse parade," said Point de Vue editor Colombe Pringle.
French politicians declined to be drawn into the debate on the presidents romantic life. Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande, who went through a highly public separation from presidential candidate Segolene Royal, said the couple had a right to privacy.
"Its their life. Either they decided to come out as a couple in public, and I think its probably the case, or they have a right to have their privacy protected," said Hollande.
Bruni released her first pop album "Quelquun Ma Dit" (Someone Told Me) in 2004 and it was a surprise hit. This years follow-up "No Promises" -- consisting of segments of English poetry set to music -- was less successful.
Politically she has placed herself on the left, telling a British newspaper earlier this year that she would vote for Sarkozys rival Segolene Royal in the May presidential election.
"My parents also always voted for the left. Its a tradition. I will never vote for the right," she told The Sunday Herald.
The attention of the paparazzi is now likely to switch to Egypt where Sarkozy is expected to spend a private Christmas holiday with his family ahead of an official visit on December 30 and 31.
"He is expected here and there will be Draconian security measures," an Egyptian official told AFP from the southern town of Luxor.
The president is then expected to travel on to the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh from December 27 to 29.
