she reportedly wanted done at the presidential residence on the Med, the Fort de Brganon - namely the addition of a pool, plus house keys and chauffeur for the four older children of the famille recompose . And it got us past the silly row about her Elyse credit card for meeting entertainment charges. Some will suspect that Nicolas Sarkozy saw in his wife's high-profile intervention not only a clever way of improving her public standing but also some prospect of enhancing French influence in north Africa. Whether or not that is the case, I do believe he saw, and grasped, an early opportunity to show presidential mettle on a tricky foreign stage. If it were not for the gratifying outcome, we would have every right to question whether the Libyan adventure was a wise one for Ccilia to undertake. But the plain truth is that there was such an outcome, at whatever price for those paying the ransom. If Ccilia brought it an inch closer, we ought to be grateful, while hoping that she has a few harder slogs in mind for that humanitarian aspect to her life as first lady. Comments Your correspondent must know Ccilia Sarkozy very well to be able to call her Ccilia throughout this piece. Otherwise, I know it sounds a bit old-fashioned, but is it normal to treat people we don't know as if they are intimates? Apart from that interesting piece - though she would hardly have stepped in withour prior knowledge