THE TELEGRAPH: Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was the target of a plot by Rachida Dati, a rival and former justice minister, to oust the French first lady from the Elysée Palace and to bring back President Nicolas Sarkozy's second wife, an official biography has claimed.The book says that Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy received a police and security services file in March – including phone call listings and text messages – showing that Miss Dati and Sophie Douzal, the President's ex-sister-in-law, conspired by spreading rumours and stories to have her removed and replaced by Cécilia Attias, whom he divorced in October 2007. Mr Sarkozy married Carla Bruni in February 2008.
The claims are made in Carla and the Ambitious by journalists Michael Darmon and Yves Derai, released on Thursday, the day after another, unauthorised, biography hit bookshops in France.
Miss Dati, a former star of Mr Sarkozy's cabinet who fell out of favour with the president, was prepared to "stop at nothing to return to such dizzy heights," the authors wrote. As a result, she and her fellow plotter "hatched a plan more fitting of the tradition of salon scheming than of a modern political fight. Rachida Dati and Miss Douzal believed Carla Bruni was a weak link in the presidency. Their plan was to bring back Cecilia to the Elysée."
The book says that Ms Dati and Miss Douzal planned to spread rumours about Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy's infidelity and stories that Ms Attias was "bored" living in New York and "dreamed" of returning to politics.
After perusing the police report, a furious Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy phoned Cécilia in New York, where she lives with her new husband Richard Attias and Mr Sarkozy's youngest son Louis, to warn her against taking part in the plot. >>> Henry Samuel in Paris | Thursday, September 16, 2010
