Sarkozy is "serious" about Bruni

French President Nicolas Sarkozy admits to the media that his relationship with Italian singer and former model Carla Bruni is serious but he avoids giving a wedding date.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday his relationship with Italian singer and former model Carla Bruni was serious but he dodged giving a wedding date.

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Sarkozy, 52, was asked at a news conference about his romance with Bruni after the Journal du Dimanche (JDD) newspaper reported on Sunday that the couple could wed on Feb 9.

"It's serious. It isn't the JDD which will fix the date," Sarkozy said, adding: "There is a strong chance that you'll learn about it when it's already happened."

Sarkozy's relationship with the glamorous 40-year-old Bruni has fascinated the French media since the pair was photographed during a visit to Disneyland Paris last month.

France's glossy magazines have devoted lavish picture spreads to the couple on holiday in Egypt and Jordan.

Speculation that a wedding was in the offing was fuelled at the weekend by the report in the JDD, owned by a businessman with close links to the president.

But recent opinion polls, which have shown a drop in Sarkozy's approval ratings, have suggested that the public may be tiring of the heavy publicity surrounding the relationship.