Francois Hollande Is No Mitterrand

French President Francois Hollande's amorous adventures in recent weeks have turned him into an international laughing-stock. Some Parisians claim not to care much about it, but longtime observers of French politics and cultural life are not persuaded. Hollande's personal life would be solely his business if it didn't affect France's political effectiveness. Getting caught in complicated relationships with different women is more than a celebrity escapade. The French presidency dominates institutionally much more than in the American system. Despite Hollande's assertion that "personal affairs should be treated privately," a French president's personal life can influence his political success -- as demonstrated by the man he defeated in 2012, the erratic Nicolas Sarkozy.