Ségolène Royal has been described as La Joconde (the Mona Lisa) of French politics: not only is her image ubiquitous but her enigmatic smile follows you wherever you move across the political spectrum.

The current frontrunner to become the opposition Socialist party’s candidate in next year’s presidential elections has not yet articulated a clear vision of where she wants to lead her country but she has certainly created a cult following. “She is an icon, too beautiful to be real, but who takes bodily form day after day,” gushes one fan, contributing to one of the many websites (inevitably called the SégoSphere) that have sprung up to support her candidacy.