French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has given birth to a baby girl, called Guilia, this week. This is the first child to be born to a serving president in the history of the French republic.

“We have been lucky enough to find great happiness. All parents understand our very profound joy, a joy all the deeper because it is private,” French President Nicolas Sarkozy said during a visit to a factory in western France on Thursday.

With the elections coming up next year, Sarkozy is hoping the baby news will boost his popularity. But others have warned the president against using his private life to gain votes saying that this type of strategy could work against him. This is the first child to be born to both her and French president Nicohas Sarkozy, and the fourth child for him. Bruni-Sarkozy also has a ten-year-old son.