13 February 2012 1:22 PM, PST | Huffington Post | See recent Huffington Post news »
Nogent-sur-marne, France (AP) — Residents are blasting a plan to erect a statue with a face resembling that of France's Italian-born first lady in an effort to honor this small town's immigrants from Italy.
Opponents say that Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, the elegant former top model from Turin, Italy's moneyed class, has no link to this blue-collar town east of Paris.
Mayor Jacques Martin, a big supporter of President Nicolas Sarkozy, denies claims by Socialist rivals that the likeness of the first lady is a political move — and said Monday that he stands by his plan.
The 8-foot-tall (2.5-meter) statue will go up in a square in the Little Italy development under way to pay homage to Italian immigrants who settled here. Men often worked as masons and women in the feather business.
"I don't see what Carla Bruni is going to do here," said resident Catherine Pelle. "She's not from the area. »
- Eline Gordts
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