Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac

THIS time it’s not the White House that’s embroiled in a sexual scandal, it’s the Elysée Palace. Location apart, there’s nothing to beat a full-dress political scandal except, that is, a full-undress one.

The controversy over President François Hollande’s relationship with French actress Julie Gayet is just the latest episode in a long history of sexual philandering involving powerful politicians, a history that stretches all the way back to Antony and Cleopatra.

During his long press conference in Paris last week, the French president had a lot to say, except on one subject — his alleged affair with Ms Gayet. “I have one principle: Private affairs are dealt with in private and with respect for the privacy of others.”