Presidential infidelities: the “scooter” with which François Hollande fled the Elysée and saw his lover goes up for auction

In these times of anti-politics, former French socialist president François Hollande has become the second most popular politician in the country. The French miss his great humor, his cartoon face, his good nature, his excellent relationship with Jacques Chirac, the journalists and your scooter of the “in the act” most famous presidential with Julie Gayethis current wife and actress.

With the polls in hand, François prepares return to the presidential arena and defeat his former student and former secretary general of the presidency, the current head of state Emmanuel Macron, in 2027.

A campaign that began spontaneously with his most loved object: your scooter, that three-wheeled scooter, just like the one he drove all his life out of the building, with which the I brought croissants for breakfast his lover, Julie Gayet, who was in a “garsoniere”, 150 meters from the Elysée, when he still lived with the Paris Match journalist, Valerie Trierweiler.

The moped goes to public auction, after being sold by the Elysée, with a slogan: “The scandal scooter”. François Hollande used it to leave the palace anonymously, without custody, regularly. He always drove one. The historic black helmet belongs to him and is not for sale.

An object of desire

François Hollande is preparing to return 10 years after the “scooter affair” and collectors dispute it like hot croissants. The scooter that the press ridiculed today has become into an object of desire.

Ten years later, the most unpopular leader in modern history once again enjoys such enchantment that the famous moped he rode with a large black helmet, behind his bodyguard, it is sold at auction as a collector’s itemwith offers starting from 10,000 euros.

The famous “scooter du scandal”, a three-wheeled gray Piaggio from 2009, with 34,000 kilometres, a symbol of the unpopularity of the Hollande era of 2012-2017, has been put up for sale by Patrick Sionneau, its last owner, in the central Loir-et-Cher region. The Elysée sold it in 2015.

“The vehicle from the palace’s fleet should fetch a good price because the French are fascinated by the transportation of their leaders, from the Vizier, Napoleon Bonaparte’s horse, to Charles de Gaulle’s Citroën DS,” said Aymeric Rouillac, the auctioneer of scooter, Paris Match magazine.

Hollande has always been characterized by his extraordinary sense of humor, with his imperturbable face. Faithful to him, Hollande certified the authenticity of his gift to Patrick Sionneau (71), who had given it to his wife Manola (71) on the anniversary of their 50 years of marriage.

A “normal” and now popular president

Hollande regained his popularity when Macron has a bad image among 70% of French people. Crowds attend former President Hollande’s lectures and signings of his best-selling books.

As an ingenious political veteran, he is contested by television programs. This week he published “Your Europe”, an illustrated guide to the EU for young people. Young people have affection and sympathy for him.

“For those between the ages of 18 and 25, I was the president of their childhood. Santa Claus and the president were there. “I behaved well,” Hollande recalls amusingly.

Dealing with Macron

A return to active politics would settle his scores with Macron, the flamboyant young protégé, who served as Hollande’s economy minister until he split in 2016 to launch his centrist campaign for the presidency. He made it clear that he did not condone Macron’s “betrayal”.which altered the political landscape, almost demolishing the socialists as a national party.

“Macron, struggling against his deep unpopularity, lacks any political conviction and has “broken a political system,” Hollande said last year. The former leader of the socialists from 1999 to 2008 is rejected by his former party, a shade more left-wing than before and completely diluted.

This is probably its biggest advantage, in an electoral scenario where the anti-European far right Marine Le Pen projects herself and its National Grouping and the centrist Edoardo Filippo. A pragmatic, consensus-oriented, pro-European social democrat with the experience of a statesman was not in the picture. Hollande can help rebuild the socialist party.

Its current leader, Olivier Faure, blames Hollande for the 2017 debacle. He recalled this week the “climate of despair” that gripped the party in January 2014, when “scooter-gate” broke out, after the images were were published by Closer, a weekly celebrity magazine.

Ten years have passed since François Hollande confirmed his separation from Valérie Trierweiler, the first lady, following revelations about his relationship with a popular and well-known actress. The book of revenge that he wrote later it made her a millionaire.

Mercy for sale

That revelation in 2014 of Hollande dating Julie Gayet, an actress, while Valérie Trierweiler, his partner, was the first lady, caused internal disturbances in the palace.

After what Trierweiler expelled from the Elysée and transferred to the psychiatric department of La Salpetrière hospital, he writes “Thank you for this moment “(Thank you for this moment), a book of revenge, credited with causing Hollande to abandon his re-election bid.

At 69, the socialist, without an electoral diet to lose the extra pounds and enjoying good food in long and entertaining after-dinner conversations with journalists, is enjoying a renaissance.

The second most popular politician

According to the monthly Ifop-Match poll, he has just become the second most popular political figure in France, after Édouard Philippe, the first centre-right prime minister during the Macron presidency. This contrasts with 4% approval for Hollande in a 2017 poll.

The pragmatic Hollande he thinks he has a chance of returning after Emmanuel Macron leaves office 2027, at the end of the two-term presidential limit. A world turned upside down, with the war in Ukraine and the possibility of a Russian victory that threatens Europe, the conflict in the Middle East, the resurrection of ISIS, France with an “urgent attack” like when it governed, Great Britain in a chaotic post-Brexit state it would be the legacy to be received if François Hollande returns to the Elysée.