French elections: Spotlight may be on that "interesting" background By CRAIG BROWN Published on Tuesday 8 May 2012 01:48 AS A political journalist with the French current affairs magazine Paris-Match, Valérie Trierweiler has spent much of her adult life steeped in French politics. Well-dressed and impeccably coiffed, she has been seen as an asset to the new president, with a close understanding of the challenges François Hollande faces. Born in Angers, the fifth child of six, the 47-year-old studied history and political science, before obtaining a master of advanced studies of political science. In 2005, when the French TV channel Direct 8 was launched, she hosted political talk-shows. Until 2007, she hosted the weekly politics show Le Grand 8, before co-hosting the weekly show Politiquement parlant (Politically Speaking). However, while her political credentials may be impeccable, it is Ms Trierweiler's complicated private life that has been the focus of media interest. She is the first French "first lady" to be unmarried, but has had two husbands in the past. Her first marriage, to a childhood friend, ended in divorce. She went on to marry - and later divorce - Denis Trierweiler, a sub-editor for Paris-Match, and a writer and academic. The couple have three children She is said to have first met Mr Hollande during the parliamentary elections of 1988, while he was living with his then wife Ségolène Royal. The couple did not start their relationship until 2006, but even then did not make it public until 2010. The lack of a marriage certificate means their status may be viewed as "living in sin" by hardline religious states such as Saudi Arabia or the Vatican, experts have warned. Mr Hollande has been urged to marry his partner "within weeks" so they can share a bedroom on state visits to strict religious countries, but Ms Trierweiler has said they "have no current plans to marry." By contrast, Nicolas Sarkozy and Italian model and singer Carla Bruni tied the knot in 2008, months after they became romantically involved. Interest in Ms Trierweiler's background led to political intrigue last year, when she filed a claim against "persons unknown" in the courts. She complained of alleged illegal collecting and processing of personal data. She lodged the complaint after the weekly L'Express published an article stating that she was the subject of an investigation by the intelligence branch of the Paris police. Though a subsequent investigation concluded the file was a forgery and the case was closed, the police have since been asked in look further into it.