Former French PM Accused In Sarko Scandal

De Villepin linked to dirty campaign against rival Sarkozy

(NEWSER) - Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin is expected to face criminal conspiracy charges following the discovery of new evidence linking him to a dirty tricks campaign against President Nicolas Sarkozy, the Times of London reports. Police yesterday searched his Paris home after investigators found computer data suggesting he directed a plot to implicate Sarkozy in a 2004 bribery scandal. More»

Claims money was sometimes hidden in drums

(NEWSER) - Former French president Jacques Chirac and his prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, have been accused of taking $20 million in illicit payments from African heads of state, allegations that both men deny. Lawyer Robert Bourgi, a onetime aide to the politicians, made the accusations in a radio station interview today, Reuters reports. Bourgi claims that between 1995 and 2005 he acted as a "bag carrier" and handed over the money, which was sometimes hidden in African drums and was paid out by the leaders of former French colonies like Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Congo. More»

Howls as French president calls Villepin 'guilty' in TV interview

(NEWSER) - Nicolas Sarkozy may have crossed the line in the continuing trial of his political foe Dominique de Villepin, the former French prime minister accused of waging a smear campaign against him in 2004. During a TV interview in New York, Sarkozy called Villepin and his co-defendants "the guilty parties"—reinforcing the widely held view that the trial is an exercise in score-settling. Villepin's lawyer called the president's comments "a scandalous violation of fundamental principles" and is filing a criminal complaint. More»

De Villepin will be grilled over Sarkozy smear campaign

(NEWSER) - Dominique de Villepin, France's former PM and a longtime rival of president Nicolas Sarkozy, will undergo a formal investigation for his alleged role in improperly smearing Sarkozy. De Villepin denies involvement in the scandal which may also implicate former president Jacques Chirac, but the announcement is seen as a step towards criminal charges. More»

President-elect has a packed first 40 days

(NEWSER) - Following last night’s victory over Nicolas Sarkozy , Francois Hollande will have to jump right in to his new role—he will be sworn in as France’s president next Tuesday, the BBC notes. What does his election mean?

• Hollande has vowed to renegotiate the eurozone budget treaty Sarkozy championed along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but the German government today is trying to cut that off at the pass, calling it “not possible.”
• Though Hollande's election has fueled hope among many French hungry for jobs, economic growth, and the end of austerity, he faces the same debt problems Sarkozy did. Der Spiegel notes that Hollande knows just how tough is the job ahead of him: Rather than appearing celebratory last night, the unsmiling victor “seemed tired, weak, and overwhelmed,” the paper reports.