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Dublin: 15 °C Wednesday 19 June, 2013

Sarkozy: Breast-feeding is like slavery

However, the French president welcomed Carla Bruni’s breast feeding, saying it means he doesn’t have to get up at night for his new daughter.

Sarkozy has made a series of gaffes in recent weeks
Sarkozy has made a series of gaffes in recent weeks
Image: Dan Kitwood/PA Wire/Press Association Images

AS A NEW father, you might expect Nicolas Sarkozy to have strong opinions on parenting. But calling breast-feeding “slavery” might just be going a bit far.

The French president has stirred controversy after reportedly telling a group of young mothers that his wife Carla Bruni was struggling to produce enough milk for their newborn daughter Giulia.

According to the Daily Mail, he said: “For the woman, it’s both a joy and a kind of slavery.” He added that breast-feeding “frees men of blame” because “you don’t have to get up at night” unlike with bottle-feeding.

“Out of solidarity, I do open one eye,” Sarkozy added.

His comments were originally reported by the website Voici.fr.

Bruni, 43, gave birth to the couple’s child – the first ever for a sitting French president – last month. Sarkozy visited her in labour before being called away to Frankfurt for meetings on the eurozone debt crisis.

Sarkozy hit headlines recently after journalists overheard him calling Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu “a liar” and outgoing Greek leader George Papandreou a “madman”.

Read more: Ms Piggy and Yo Blair: 5 of the best open-mic political gaffes>

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