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| François Hollande intervenes in Valerie Trierweiler case | François Hollande intervenes in Valerie Trierweiler case |
| (25 days later) | |
| A lawsuit brought by France's first lady, Valerie Trierweiler, for invasion of privacy threatened to escalate into a political scandal on Monday after it was revealed that the Socialist president, François Hollande, had written to the court. | A lawsuit brought by France's first lady, Valerie Trierweiler, for invasion of privacy threatened to escalate into a political scandal on Monday after it was revealed that the Socialist president, François Hollande, had written to the court. |
| The brief handwritten letter came to light at the opening of a legal case brought by Trierweiler, 47, against two political journalists over their unauthorised biography, La Frondeuse (The Troublemaker). | The brief handwritten letter came to light at the opening of a legal case brought by Trierweiler, 47, against two political journalists over their unauthorised biography, La Frondeuse (The Troublemaker). |
| In the book, which has sold 20,000 copies, the authors claimed that while Trierweiler was having an affair with Hollande a decade ago, when he was still with the mother of his four children, she was also involved with a rightwing politician. | In the book, which has sold 20,000 copies, the authors claimed that while Trierweiler was having an affair with Hollande a decade ago, when he was still with the mother of his four children, she was also involved with a rightwing politician. |
| On Monday, critics said Hollande's letter was a "shocking" breach of rules governing the separation of powers and accused the French leader of attempting to put pressure on magistrates judging the case. | On Monday, critics said Hollande's letter was a "shocking" breach of rules governing the separation of powers and accused the French leader of attempting to put pressure on magistrates judging the case. |
| However, supporters pointed out that Hollande's letter, dated 25 November, was not written on headed presidential paper and insisted he was writing as an ordinary person supporting his partner. | However, supporters pointed out that Hollande's letter, dated 25 November, was not written on headed presidential paper and insisted he was writing as an ordinary person supporting his partner. |
| In fact, Hollande's complaint does not relate to Trierweiler's past, but to an obscure event in French domestic politics in the 1990s. | In fact, Hollande's complaint does not relate to Trierweiler's past, but to an obscure event in French domestic politics in the 1990s. |
| "I am writing to denounce as pure fantasy the passages of the book La Frondeuse (pp 46 and 47) concerning a supposed letter never written and therefore never received by the person to whom it was supposedly addressed. Invention cannot be part of a political essay unless it is being presented as a novel," he wrote. | "I am writing to denounce as pure fantasy the passages of the book La Frondeuse (pp 46 and 47) concerning a supposed letter never written and therefore never received by the person to whom it was supposedly addressed. Invention cannot be part of a political essay unless it is being presented as a novel," he wrote. |
| "The separation of powers has been violated," said defence lawyer Olivier Pardo before the hearing. "The president of the Republic is the guarantor of the independence of the courts. It's shocking." | "The separation of powers has been violated," said defence lawyer Olivier Pardo before the hearing. "The president of the Republic is the guarantor of the independence of the courts. It's shocking." |
| However, Trierweiler's lawyer, Frédérique Giffard, said Hollande had written as an ordinary person. | However, Trierweiler's lawyer, Frédérique Giffard, said Hollande had written as an ordinary person. |
| "He believed the court could be usefully informed of his position. It was written in three lines. It was not pressure and he is not a party to the [legal] process," Giffard told French television. | "He believed the court could be usefully informed of his position. It was written in three lines. It was not pressure and he is not a party to the [legal] process," Giffard told French television. |
| Trierweiler is claiming €80,000 (£64,000) in damages for defamation and invasion of privacy, and €5,000 in legal charges from Christophe Jakubyszyn, head of the political service at the television channel TF1-LCI, Alix Bouilhaguet, senior political reporter at France 2 television, and their editor, Yves Derai, at the publisher Editions du Moment. | Trierweiler is claiming €80,000 (£64,000) in damages for defamation and invasion of privacy, and €5,000 in legal charges from Christophe Jakubyszyn, head of the political service at the television channel TF1-LCI, Alix Bouilhaguet, senior political reporter at France 2 television, and their editor, Yves Derai, at the publisher Editions du Moment. |
| She also asked the civil court to award an additional €70,000 damages against the news magazine Point de Vue, which published an interview with the authors in October. | She also asked the civil court to award an additional €70,000 damages against the news magazine Point de Vue, which published an interview with the authors in October. |
| The row comes at a time when the president's popularity has dipped, and is particularly damaging as he had promised during his election campaign: "I will let justice work in an independent manner." | The row comes at a time when the president's popularity has dipped, and is particularly damaging as he had promised during his election campaign: "I will let justice work in an independent manner." |
| Jean-François Copé, the contested leader of the divided opposition UMP party, said: "I ask myself what could have driven Monsieur Hollande to give so many lessons on morality to Monsieur [Nicolas] Sarkozy during the previous five years but not apply them to himself. We must stop this hypocrisy." | Jean-François Copé, the contested leader of the divided opposition UMP party, said: "I ask myself what could have driven Monsieur Hollande to give so many lessons on morality to Monsieur [Nicolas] Sarkozy during the previous five years but not apply them to himself. We must stop this hypocrisy." |
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