IN a country famous for its passion, his is one of the most feared tempers. Now even Carla Bruni has admitted that her husband, President Nicolas Sarkozy, has trouble managing his anger.

In one of the French First Lady’s most controversial interviews to date, she said he constantly needs calming down.

Ms Bruni said: “A lot of people are scared of him, not just because of his position, but because of his temper. I don’t think he ever had the time for la dolce vita. I showed him how.”

It follows previous claims that Mr Sarkozy was prone to “brutal exchanges” with the women in his life, with one of his two former wives complaining to police about his behaviour.

A book published last year by the respected author Hubert Coudurier, ‘Love, Rupture and Betrayal’, included claims of a vicious row between Mr Sarkozy and his then wife Cecilia before the presidential elections of May 2007. It led to a complaint to police, although no action was taken against Mr Sarkozy. He moved out of their home to stay with a friend.

Miss Bruni made her latest comments to a journalist from the ‘International Herald Tribune‘ while on a goodwill mission to Burkina Faso in west Africa. In the interview, Miss Bruni (41) confirmed she had provided a new personal trainer for her 53-year-old husband, allowing him to let off steam in the Elysee Palace gardens every day.

She has also stopped the self-confessed “chocoholic” from eating refined sugar products which might be responsible for mood swings.

Miss Bruni even suggests that the single-minded politician might not have had such a successful career if they had met earlier.

“I don’t know if he would have had such a wonderful, fantastic career with me at his side,” she said. The mother-of-one said she would still like to have a baby with Mr Sarkozy, who has three boys and two stepdaughters from his first two marriages. The Elysee Palace refused to comment on Mr Sarkozy’s personal life. ( © Daily Telegraph, London).

- Peter Allen