French president François Hollande has been accused of interfering in the legal system by writing a letter supporting his partner in her defamation suit against the authors of an unflattering biography.
Valérie Trierweiler brought the case against the authors of La Frondeuse ( The Troublemaker), a book that details the former journalist’s dealings with members of the political elite, including Mr Hollande and his ex-partner Ségolène Royal.
Lawyers for Ms Trierweiler, who is seeking €80,000 in damages, produced Mr Hollande’s letter in a Paris court as evidence supporting allegations of defamation and invasion of privacy by the writers and publishing house Moment.
In handwritten script on paper with no presidential markings, Mr Hollande criticises the authors for “pure invention” in a passage concerning him.
In the book, which has sold 20,000 copies, the authors claimed that while Ms Trierweiler was having an affair with Mr Hollande a decade ago, when he was still with the mother of his four children, she was also involved with a right-wing politician.
“They’re using a nuclear bomb to swat a fly,” said Yves Derai of Moment.
