This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/12/francois-hollande-france-reported-affair-segolene-royal

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
François Hollande's ex-partner: France should 'turn page' on reported affair François Hollande's partner Valérie Trierweiler in hospital with 'exhaustion'
(about 2 hours later)
The former partner of François Hollande has said France "should turn the page" on his reported affair with the actor Julie Gayet, echoing the underwhelmed reaction to the scandal of the French population. Valérie Trierweiler, the partner of the French president, François Hollande, has been taken to hospital with "exhaustion" following claims that he has been having an affair, it has emerged.
In the poll published in the Journal du Dimanche on Sunday, 77% said the affair was a personal matter, while 84% said their opinion of the president – whose popularity has sunk to record lows in recent months – had not changed as a result of the claims. After hearing of Hollande's alleged trysts with Julie Gayet, Trierweiler, a journalist, was taken to hospital where doctors prescribed rest. Trierweiler's office told L'Express magazine she had been taken to hospital on Friday afternoon and was due to be released on Monday.
The survey of public opinion is the first to have been conducted after an article published in the celebrity magazine Closer on Friday alleged the president had been holding secret trysts with Gayet in a borrowed flat near the Elysée palace. The magazine showed photographs of a man in a black helmet, alleged to be the president, being accompanied to and from the apartment by a bodyguard on a scooter on 30 and 31 December. Rumours of a secret affair had circulated among French journalists for months. The news came as Hollande's former partner and the mother of his children, Ségolène Royal, told a French news channel on Sunday that France should "turn the page" on their president's alleged affair with Gayet.
Hollande, 59, who is accompanied to official engagements by his partner, the journalist Valérie Trierweiler, reacted to the magazine's claims in a personal capacity with a threat to sue Closer on the grounds that it had invaded his privacy. The article was removed from Closer's website following what the magazine described as a "very clear" legal injunction from Gayet's lawyers. Hollande has not denied the affair. Her sentiment was echoed by a poll, published in the Journal du Dimanche, which found 77% of French respondents believed the affair was a personal matter, while 84% said their opinion of Hollande was unchanged by the revelations.
His former partner of 23 years and the mother of his four children, Ségolène Royal, on Sunday dodged a barrage of questions regarding the invasion of Hollande's privacy in a news programme on France2 television. The survey is the first to have been conducted after the celebrity magazine Closer alleged the president had been meeting Gayet in a borrowed flat near the Elysée palace. The magazine showed photographs of a man in a black helmet, alleged to be Hollande, being accompanied to and from the apartment by a bodyguard on a scooter on 30 and 31 December. Rumours of an affair had circulated among French journalists for months.
"I don't want to feed the saga with a little sentence which is very, very far from French people's concerns," she said. Hollande, 59, who is accompanied on official engagements by Trierweiler, reacted to the magazine's claims in a personal capacity with a threat to sue Closer on the grounds that it had invaded his privacy. The article was removed from Closer's website following what the magazine described as a "very clear" legal injunction from Gayet's lawyers. Hollande has not denied the affair.
When the presenter followed up by asking whether the issue was "not political", Royal replied ambiguously: "We should turn the page and get back to work." Royal, his former partner of 23 years and the mother of his four children, dodged questions regarding the invasion of Hollande's privacy in a news programme on France2 television on Sunday.
It was not clear whether Royal's words referred to Hollande, to herself and the president, to her former love rival Trierweiler, regarded as the first lady, or to the French public as a whole. "I don't want to feed the saga with a little sentence which is very, very far from French people's concerns," she said. When the presenter asked whether the issue was "not political", Royal replied: "We should turn the page and get back to work."
Stéphane Le Foll, France's minister of agriculture and a close confidant of the president, ruled out his commenting on the reported affair before or during a long-scheduled news conference on Tuesday. The purpose of the press conference is "to talk about France", he told RTL radio on Sunday. Hollande would speak about "growth, unemployment and investment". It was not clear whether she was referring to Hollande, to herself and the president, to Trierweiler, or to the French public as a whole.
Stéphane Le Foll, France's minister of agriculture and a close confidant of the president, said he would not comment on the reported affair before or during a long-scheduled news conference on Tuesday. The purpose of the press conference is to talk about France, he told RTL radio. Hollande would speak about "growth, unemployment and investment".
The Gayet scandal has come at an unfortunate time for Hollande, who hopes to rebuild confidence in the government's handling of the economy. In a new year message, the socialist leader made overtures to French bosses – raising eyebrows among the leftist elements of his party – and is expected to flesh out details of a "responsibility pact" with employers who have complained that high taxation is hampering their hiring ability.The Gayet scandal has come at an unfortunate time for Hollande, who hopes to rebuild confidence in the government's handling of the economy. In a new year message, the socialist leader made overtures to French bosses – raising eyebrows among the leftist elements of his party – and is expected to flesh out details of a "responsibility pact" with employers who have complained that high taxation is hampering their hiring ability.
According to a poll published in Le Parisien on 4 January, only 31% of French people find him "competent", although 56% say he is "likeable".According to a poll published in Le Parisien on 4 January, only 31% of French people find him "competent", although 56% say he is "likeable".
Hollande's partner, a former journalist, has made it clear that she found it difficult to adjust to her role as "first girlfriend", as she is known. It remains to be seen whether the president will respond to French media pressure to "clarify" his relationship with Trierweiler in the coming days. Trierweiler has said she found it difficult to adjust to her role as "first girlfriend", as she is known. It remains to be seen whether the president will respond to French media pressure to "clarify" his relationship with Trierweiler in the coming days.
Friends of Trierweiler have accused the interior minister, Manuel Valls – who is believed to nurture presidential ambitions – of "betrayal". The news magazine Le Point suggested in an article on its website on Sunday that Valls must have known of Hollande's movements, and reported that the apartment where he allegedly met Gayet belonged to a person with connections to a criminal gang. Friends of Trierweiler have accused the interior minister, Manuel Valls – who is believed to nurture presidential ambitions – of "betrayal".
The news magazine Le Point suggested on its website that Valls must have known of Hollande's movements, and reported that the apartment where he allegedly met Gayet belonged to someone with connections to a criminal gang.
Gayet, who recently played the role of a seductress in the satirical political film Quai d'Orsay, is a 41-year-old Socialist party activist who expressed gushing support for the "humble" and "wonderful" Hollande before the 2012 election. Anne Hidalgo, the party's candidate to succeed Bertrand Delanoe as Paris mayor, has listed Gayet as one of her support committee members – a list revealed by Le Parisien on Sunday.Gayet, who recently played the role of a seductress in the satirical political film Quai d'Orsay, is a 41-year-old Socialist party activist who expressed gushing support for the "humble" and "wonderful" Hollande before the 2012 election. Anne Hidalgo, the party's candidate to succeed Bertrand Delanoe as Paris mayor, has listed Gayet as one of her support committee members – a list revealed by Le Parisien on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Journal du Dimanche reported that one of Hollande's first questions to aides following his election was: "How do I get out without being seen?"Meanwhile, the Journal du Dimanche reported that one of Hollande's first questions to aides following his election was: "How do I get out without being seen?"
Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.