PARIS — The city of romance got a lesson in love’s hard knocks Sunday, as thousands flocked to the French capital’s first divorce fair.
In France, nearly one out of two marriages ends in divorce, according to the country’s National Institute of Demographic Studies. More than 130,000 divorces were registered in 2007, compared with 50,000 three decades ago.
The “New Start” trade fair aimed to tap into that booming market by bringing together 60 booths offering both services obviously related to separation — law firms and counselors — and also more obscure disciplines aimed at helping people get back on their feet, such as tarot card readers, makeover specialists and self-esteem coaches.
The fair’s organizer, Brigitte Gaumet, said she had the idea for the event after President Nicolas Sarkozy divorced his second wife months after taking office in 2007.
“For me, that crystalized that divorce has lost its stigma and is really a commonplace thing,” Gaumet told The Associated Press.
