Bruni, who is due to give birth in the autumn, said she did
not know whether she was expecting a boy or a girl, but her main aim was to
protect the infant from the glare of publicity.
"You don't have a child for the gallery," Bruni
told TF1 television in an interview.
"I understand the media interest (but) for children
it's not possible. I will do everything to protect this infant and I'll be
absolutely rigorous. I will never show photos of this child, I will never expose
this child," she said.
Bruni's remarks suggested Sarkozy will shy away from using
glossy magazine spreads of a newborn baby to polish his family-man image later
this year as he announces a widely expected run at a second term in next year's
presidential election.
The conservative is expected to announce his reelection
plans in early November, just after France's G20 heads of state summit in
Cannes and close to the time Bruni, a former supermodel, is expected to give
birth.
Sarkozy's low popularity ratings have inched up during the
summer as photos of him relaxing at the beach with the heavily pregnant Bruni
gave him a family glow that contrasted with coverage of his erstwhile election
rival on the left, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was in New York fighting sex
assault charges.
Bruni, 43, and also a singer-songwriter, said she learned
her lesson when she let paparazzi snap photos of her son from a former
relationship, Aurelien, perched on Sarkozy's shoulders on a trip to Egypt
during their whirlwind courtship.
Sarkozy's rapid attachment to the glamorous Bruni on the
tails of his 2007 election and just a few months after his separation from his
ex-wife Cecilia created a media frenzy.
With many French people critical of a manner they see as too
brash and flashy for a head of state, Sarkozy has been at pains in recent
months to act in a more austere and presidential way. He and Bruni kept silent
about the long-rumoured pregnancy until mid-July.
Bruni shed no light on when Sarkozy will announce his
election plans, but said she hoped he would be there for the birth of their
first child together.
