受奧朗德與瓦萊麗分手影響 白宮報廢300份國宴邀請函

The White House has discreetly destroyed hundreds of embossed invitations to a state dinner honouring François Hollande because they included a reference to his now former partner.

President Barack Obama's aides have struggled to keep up with the French leader's chaotic personal life after he was caught having an affair with an actress and broke up with long-time girlfriend Valérie Trierweiler.

After scrapping the first 300 invites, the Americans were left wondering whether to include the name of Mr Hollande's new mistress, according to The New York Times.

It was eventually settled that the French leader would be travelling solo to Washington, ending the nerve-racking uncertainty for the White House's protocol officers.

The decision will spare Michelle Obama from a day of tea and local visits, which is usually how she entertains foreign leader's spouses while her husband holds bilateral talks.

Instead, Mr Obama and Mr Hollande will today go to Monticello, the Virginia estate of Thomas Jefferson, who was one of America's first ambassadors to Paris before being elected president.

The two presidents will hold a joint press conference tomorrow [TUES], where Mr Hollande may face the indignity of being questioned about his affair while standing next to the world's most powerful man.

During a London press conference with David Cameron, Mr Hollande was has asked by a British reporter whether his "private life has made France an international joke". He declined to answer.

It is not the first time that a French leader's personal life has caught the White House off guard. In 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy abruptly announced he was divorcing his second wife, Cécilia Attias, just weeks before a visit to Washington.

Among the guests at Tuesday's state dinner will be Christine Lagarde, the French head of the International Monetary Fund, and actor Bradley Cooper, who speaks fluent French.法國總統奧朗德1月底宣佈與“第一女友”瓦萊麗分手，而白宮在此前就爲他本月的訪美之行印發了提及瓦萊麗的國宴邀請函。據英國《每日電訊報》2月9日報道，白宮爲了跟上奧朗德私生活步伐，不得不報廢了數百份國宴邀請函。

據《紐約時報》報道，在銷燬300份邀請函後，白宮還在爲要不要在新的邀請函上加上奧朗德新歡的名字而煩惱。奧朗德的新女友朱莉•加耶是一名演員，於1月初浮出水面，兩人已經維持了近兩年的地下情。

奧朗德最終確定單獨訪美，美國“第一夫人”米歇爾也因此省出一天時間，通常她需要在丈夫奧巴馬與外國領導人舉行雙邊會晤時陪伴對方的配偶。

奧朗德與奧巴馬將於當地時間11日舉行聯合新聞發佈會，預計屆時他將被問及私生活。在此前與卡梅倫舉行的新聞發佈會上，一名英國記者問奧朗德，是否“他的私生活讓法國成爲國際笑柄”，他拒絕回答。

奧朗德不是第一位讓白宮措手不及的法國總統。2007年，前總統薩科齊在訪美前幾周宣佈與第二任妻子塞西莉亞•阿蒂亞斯離婚，也讓白宮亂了陣腳。