Nicolas Sarkozy

Sarkozy basks in joker card comeback strategy

France — Link

His allies claim he receives popular applause whenever he attends concerts by his wife Carla Bruni as he keeps options open for a political comeback.

French documentary shows Sarkozys at home and unguarded

France — Link

In a candid documentary filmed during his last, failed campaign, the former French president appears to rule out a political comeback.

'Manifestly abusive behaviour': what the judges really thought about Nicolas Sarkozy in Bettencourt affair

France

Nicolas Sarkozy and his political allies have been celebrating the decision by judges to drop proceedings against him in relation to the Bettencourt affair. But in their official judgement the two examining magistrates make clear they nonetheless regard the former president's behaviour towards the elderly and frail L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt to be 'abusive'. Mediapart here publishes extracts from a ruling whose tough language throws into context Sarkozy's claim that he has been declared 'innocent'. Michel Deléan reports.

Sarkozy’s legal woes roll on despite court ruling

France — Link

Probe into ex-president's role in Bettencourt affair is over but other cases threaten damage to his reputation as he mulls over poltical comeback.

Bettencourt affair: case dismissed against Sarkozy

France

After a long and politically explosive legal saga, the proceedings against Nicolas Sarkozy in relation to the Bettencourt affair have been dropped. The former president, who had denied any wrongdoing, had faced allegations that he took advantage of the mental frailty of L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt to get cash for his 2007 election campaign. But on Monday the investigating magistrates in charge of this high-profile case decided not to send the former president to court to face charges. Allies believe this clears the path to his return to French politics. However ten others, including former employment minister and ex-UMP treasurer Éric Woerth, are to stand trial over the Bettencourt affair. Michel Deléan reports.

Bettencourt affair: Sarkozy 'secret cash' case dropped

France — Link

Former president will not stand trial on allegations - which he denied - that he abused frailty of L'Oréal heiress to get election campaign funds.

Nicolas Sarkozy's 'shocking comments' lost him election, says ex-wife

France — Link

Nicolas Sarkozy displayed a “worrying impulsiveness” according to his ex-wife in extracts of a “tell-all” autobiography.

France's Sarkozy appeals against vote funding investigation

France — Link

Former president appeals to Court of Cassation over investigation into allegations that he took advantage of mental frailty of L'Oréal heiress.

Sarkozy loses appeal in Bettencourt case, now faces possible trial for 'abuse' of L'Oréal heiress

France

In a much-awaited decision, the Bordeaux court of appeal has ruled that former French president Nicolas Sarkozy should remain under investigation for exploiting L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt’s dementia to obtain funds for his 2007 election campaign. The court threw out Sarkozy’s appeal along with several others lodged by fellow suspects cited in the case, and which included a demand that the investigating magistrates should be removed from the case for reason of their alleged impartiality. The ruling announced on Tuesday means Sarkozy could now face trial on the charge of ‘abuse of weakness’, about which a decision is expected within weeks. Michel Deléan reports. 

"Sarkothon" raises 11 mln euros and refills UMP coffers

France — Link

Main opposition party says it raised money in just two months after election auditors ruled former president's 2012 campaign had overspent.

Ex-French ambassador under investigation after found with thousands in cash

France — Link

Diplomat-turned-businessman Boris Boillon, who close to Nicolas Sarkozy, was reportedly stopped at Paris train station with 350,000 euros on him.

The tentacular Bettencourt affair, from high-society feud to affair of state

France

The Bettencourt affair has reached an unprecedented scope among the many scandals that have rocked France in recent decades. As a judicial ruling ordering the censorship of Mediapart’s reporting of the scandal kicks in this Monday evening, Michel Deléan dresses a summary of the  judicial investigations into the affair which, over the past three years, have exposed a bed of political corruption and influence peddling, a record back payment in taxes on assets secretly stashed abroad, not to mention the outrageous antics of a high-society cabal and the sordid exploitation of one of Europe’s wealthiest individuals.

Right-wing UMP forced to launch cash appeal after Sarkozy's election accounts are thrown out

France

After his accounts were rejected by France's top constitutional court, the former president resigned from that body, to enable him to 'speak freely' on the issue. He and his supporters claim the ruling - the first of its kind -  is 'unfair'. Meanwhile, as Mathilde Mathieu reports, the main opposition party the UMP now has to find 11 million euros to avoid potential financial ruin.

Prosecutors say Sarkozy has no case to answer over claims he exploited L'Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt

France

As widely expected, the prosecutor in Bordeaux says that 'in the absence of evidence' there should be no further action taken against the former president over claims that he took advantage of the billionaire’s mental frailty to obtain funds for his 2007 election campaign. But, as Michel Deléan reports, the three examining magistrates in charge of this high-profile and controversial case could still decide to send Nicolas Sarkozy to stand trial.

Ziad Takieddine says he paid illegal kickbacks to fund former French PM Edouard Balladur’s failed presidential bid

France — Link

The Lebanese businessman says he handed over suitcases of cash in Geneva that came from arms deals with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.