PARIS: Supermodel-turned-singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy says she wants to do “something fundamental” in the field of humanitarianism as France’s first lady, in an interview published on Saturady.

In her second major interview since marrying President Nicolas Sarkozy in February, Bruni told the Liberation newspaper she views herself as a “modern woman” who can nevertheless work within the traditional first-lady role.

“I am going to try to use this position for something fundamental,” said the 40-year-old chanteuse, whose third album “Comme Si De Rien N’Etait” (Simply) comes out on July 11 in France and much of Europe.

“Of course, it would always be tied to humanitarian action. That is a tradition as well. For myself, I would never dare to do things that would shock people and break from traditions.” Sarkozy and Bruni swapped vows after a whirlwind romance that began when they met at a Paris dinner party in late 2007, soon going public with their love affair with a day out at Disneyland Paris.

She is credited with softening the right-wing president’s public persona, although some critics wonder if Sarkozy with a sagging popularity rating has been paying more attention to her than to national affairs.

Italian by birth, Bruni-Sarkozy said that while she has yet to become a naturalised French citizen, she nevertheless considers herself French.

On life in the Elysee Palace, she said: “I use my husband’s secretarial staff. I have an office, a place in the private section of the Elysee. The women are put in the private section. It’s not a very clear place.” As a singer-songwriter, she said she could still perform on television, but planned no live concerts “because I cannot have myself dragging along a security detail that is, in my opinion, shocking”.

“I will resume doing concerns when my husband is no longer president of the republic.” Bruni’s new album was to come out on July 21, but her record company Naive revealed on Saturday it was moving up the date by 10 days, with royalties going to the Fondation de France charity.

In a break from her folk-flavoured past, it has a decidedly 60s pop sound although Colombia’s Foreign Minister Fernando Araujo complained that “Ma came”, a love song with references to cocaine, undermines Bogota’s war on drugs.—AFP