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A vitriolic political row has exploded in France after the defeated presidential candidate, Segolene Royal, accused President Nicolas Sarkozy's "clan" of being "linked" to a break-in at her flat.
Royal's words, on the main nightly news programme of the state-owned television channel France 2, came close to a direct accusation of a "Segogate" - a break-in at the home of a senior opposition leader inspired by the President.
Her comments were immediately dismissed by politicians close to Sarkozy who said they were the result of a "martyr complex". The Prime Minister, Francois Fillon, said it was "absolutely shameful" to make accusations against the President, "without any shred of proof".
Jean-Marc Ayrault, the leader of the Socialist group in the lower house of Parliament, said that Sarkozy's 14 months in power had created a "climate" which "recalled the most unpleasant periods of French political history".
Once such a climate is created, he said, "anything can happen".
Royal's apartment, in the quiet suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt, just outside Paris, was broken into just under two weeks ago. Her flat was also burgled during her campaign to become the first woman President of France in the northern spring of last year. On both occasions, nothing appeared to have been stolen. Royal said she believed that there was a "link" between the break-in on June 27 and her accusation the previous day that the President's wealthy friends were mounting a "takeover" of France.
This followed a decision by Sarkozy to ban advertising from state-owned television - potentially increasing by ¬450 million annually the revenue of commercial television channels owned, or controlled, by his friends.
"I observe that on the day after I said that it was time to halt the Sarkozy clan's takeover of France, my home was ransacked," Royal told astonished viewers. "I make a link between the two events." When was asked if she was "making an accusation" against the "forces in power", she replied: "It's a bizarre coincidence.
- INDEPENDENT
