( CNN ) -- The past week following the disclosure that French President François Hollande has allegedly been having an affair with an actress , Julie Gayet , has brought to the fore the need in that country to clarify -- or do away with -- the status of First Lady , which until now has been ambiguous . In a news conference last week at the Elysee Palace , Hollande did not confirm or deny the reports of an affair , but admitted that he and France 's first lady were going through `` painful moments . '' The term `` First Lady '' is likely to have originated in the 19th century in the United States where she has a legal status as a de facto officer of government with her own budget and staff . In France though , the First Lady has no lawful status despite usually having an office of her own and a handful of staff whose salaries are covered by tax-payers . `` There should definitely not be an official status , '' said Armelle Le Bras-Chopard , a political science professor and author of a book published in 2009 entitled `` Première Dame , second rôle '' ( First Lady , supporting role ) . `` If there were to be a status what functions would this cover ? They are for the most part archaic and traditional . '' In the rest of Europe most spouses of heads of state are not in the spotlight and do not campaign with their partners . `` We are talking about two different cultures , '' said Le Bras-Chopard . `` In the U.S. men who are presidential candidates are always married , and their wives participate in their campaigns . Once they have been elected , their wives , the children and the dog are all visible . '' `` We should take inspiration from the model in northern Europe where each person continues their own life , '' said Anne Hidalgo , the Socialist candidate campaigning to become the next mayor of Paris . `` When a president is elected one does n't vote for a couple . I am voting for a person , not their family . '' Petra Gustafsson , a spokeswoman at Sweden 's Embassy in Paris confirmed that the Swedish Prime Minister 's wife is mostly absent from all events ( the couple recently divorced ) and that the role of First Lady is `` something unique to U.S. society , '' even if Sweden 's constitutional monarchy does provide the public with a figurehead of First Lady in the form of the Queen . In Germany , Angela Merkel is head of government , not head of state , and even though her husband Joachim Sauer has no ceremonial role , he takes an unusually backseat role . `` Look at Merkel 's husband . No one ever criticizes her for not being accompanied by him on official visits , '' commented Le Bras-Chopard . `` He does not check that the flowers are just right on the tables when there are official events , '' The role of First Lady in France , however , has become increasingly conspicuous over the years . Former President Nicolas Sarkozy 's ex-wife , Cécilia , ran his election campaign , his current wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy , a singer and former top model was already a public figure , and President Hollande 's companion , Valérie Trierweiler , a journalist , lurched into her undefined role under intense media coverage . Trierweiler 's situation is even more complex given the fact that the couple is not married . Herein lies the ambiguity in France , a modern state that , lest anyone forget , removed its monarchy over 220 years ago . Probably more than in any other European country , the President 's spouse or companion is a highly public figure . Yet the idea of a woman giving up her career in order to become First Lady is becoming less and less acceptable . French lawyer Muriel Kahn Herrmann embodies this contradiction : `` For me , personally , it is of absolutely no importance that the president has a spouse . I would vote for a president who is a bachelor or gay . But in reality , whether we like it or not , the First Lady is unavoidable , she exists , and therefore we should legalize the situation and be precise about her functions . '' Cécilia Attias , who was Nicolas Sarkozy 's First Lady for five months until their divorce , and recently published her autobiography , last week called for the First Lady 's status to be clarified . However , she said , and Kahn Herrmann agreed , once the role has been decided on , it should be up to each woman to be able to choose whether or not to leave her career . '' But Le Bras-Chopard echoes what more and more men and women in France are expressing : `` Instead of crystalizing a tradition we need to see things differently . Today women exist in their own right . They become public but only because of a private relationship . The solution for our day and age is that there no longer be a First Lady . '' The situation in France has opened a wider debate : in societies in which divorce and partnerships are more frequent and in which there will inevitably be a gay man or woman as head of state , the concept of `` First Spouse '' seems increasingly anachronistic . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Olivia Snaije .
Olivia Snaije : President François Hollande 's alleged affair has spotlighted First Lady status . The role of First Lady in France has become increasingly conspicuous , she writes . Hide Caption 1 of 10 Photos: A woman giving up her career to become First Lady is less acceptable . The concept of `` First Spouse '' seems increasingly anachronistic , she says .