Monsieur Hollande, who is really the likely challenger to Sarkozy

Dominique Strauss-Kahn is returning to Paris, the tireless usually smile. And go with the river of ruminations on his political future in France. Perhaps Minister, certainly not as President, as he hoped before the scandal that has engulfed in New York. For the Socialist primary, which the 9 October indicate rival Nicolas Sarkozy's presidential spring 2012, the Favorites are François Hollande and Martine Aubry. Dominique doesn't compete. And the fight is definitely Hollande. Not only that, a poll Ifop, announced at the weekend, indicated that, if the first round of elections held now, it would be him to ensure the best performance of all candidates in the primaries Socialist, making sure the 29% of the vote, compared to 23.5% for Sarkozy and 18.5% of Marine Le Pen.

Determined, despite a seemingly good-natured smile, always a politician by profession (but was never Minister), who is really François Hollande? Beyond the official biographies, is just out in Paris a book on the character, the story balanced (but not directly authorized by the intended target groups), François Hollande. Itinéraire secret, written by the journalist Serge Raffy, collaborator of the weekly Nouvel Observateur, and published by Fayard. Here are some revelations.

The father? The extreme right – a certain attitude, sometimes distant, betrays our bourgeois origins. The bourgeoisie, for accuracy. The Hollande live sonnachiosa in Rouen, Northwest of the city. Her mother, Nicole, is a social worker, extroverted, by left-wing sympathies. His father, a physician, is authoritarian: quite absent at home, too busy by the profession, from numerous real estate investments, passion for politics. It has multiple times (but unsuccessfully) into lists local extreme right. It's a nostalgic of Marshal Petain, despise the General De Gaulle, the French remains Algeria (supports the Oas, the clandestine political-military organisation, which campaigns against the independence of the colony).

The relationship with Mitterrand – Hollande moved to Paris in 1968 ("the revolt of May is perceived by the householder – writes Raffy – as the first stage of the Communist invasion in France"). François has 13 years. Starts, early in his political activity, but without following the footsteps of his father. Student at the prestigious Sciences Po, adheres to the Unef-Renouveau movement, close to the Communist Party. Hollande, however, is not part of the training policy and "is not an ideologue – the book of Raffy-. Can't stand the theoretical debates that characterize the left of those years. " Already then it is a moderate and a pragmatist. Watch, then, welcome to François Mitterrand and his idea of "Union of the left, including Communists, which will allow him to become President (first and last Socialist) in 1981. Already that year, Hollande (which has a large pocket of diplomas: Sciences Po, the high school of Commerce Hec and the public administration, Ena) is called to the Elysée Palace as an advisor for the economic sector. For Mitterrand will feed a always admired ill-considered, but not fully reciprocated. The choice of the President in time becomes rather then Ségolène Royal, Hollande's partner.

The legacy (disputed) of Delors-since 1993 Hollande chairs the Club Témoin, which has as its reference Jacques Delors, the President of the European Commission and Minister of economy in the early years of the Mitterrand era. The presidential candidacy of Delors ' 95, however, fades. Primaries Hollande will end up as main rival Martine Aubry, Delors's daughter. That has long been Dumbledore: only recently has taken a position officially to Martine. In many, though, look to François as his true heir. Delors, Catholic left, austere and reassuring, it looks more like Hollande at pasdaran Socialist who became in time the daughter.

The error of Lionel Jospin – in 2002, which loses against Jacques Chirac already in the first round: second place is Jean-Marie Le Pen. It is an immense trauma for the French Socialists, never fully digested. Hollande was then party General Secretary. Long close to Jospin, Hollande comes from this put away at the end of the campaign. Jospin quits in an ivory tower, convinced that he will win. Raffy recalls a meeting with Hollande, where most are on the hands.

François, Ségolène and Valérie – Ségolène Royal, a former companion of François (they had 4 children) from the time of the Ena. Valérie makes Trierweiler surname and is the journalist of Paris-Match that is now the companion of Hollande. And say that it's just interviewing the Royal Valérie during maternity leave, in 1992, when born, the last of his children with Hollande: one of the first episodes in France's "glamourizzazione" of the policy (for more on the left), much criticised. The journalist becomes friend of the couple. Raffy's book tells (without voyeurism) as Ségolène and François gradually depart, already prior to her presidential campaign against Sarkozy. And as the link him with Valérie becomes something more than just a friendship. The Trierweiler is today very discreet about the relationship with the partner. But the report raises many controversy in a country that looks with a good dose of wariness to the fact that politicians find next in the private lives of journalists.

All the troubles of President Sarkozy journalists investigating threatened

It is not easy life of journalists who want to browse on the Vice of circles close to Nicolas Sarkozy. Or it becomes very easy to those who go to investigate the private life of the President's political rivals. Some recent revelations prove a certain nonchalance on the part of the Elysée Palace in both directions. Right now that Sarko wants to please the eyes of international public opinion as the true author (victorious) Western intervention in Libya. We forget, though, that Sarkozy, Berlusconi was "Roseanne" with rais until a few months ago.

Let's start from the affaire Bettencourt, Liliane surname: elderly lady, reference shareholder of l ' Oréal, the richest woman in France. Sarkozy knows since he became mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine, the wealthy suburb of Paris, place of origin of both. It is always said that he was an assiduous funding of election campaigns by Nicolas. Then the situation has become even more embarrassing for suspects that madame, in there with age, has been led astray by characters from the presidential circle spillarle further money. In a book just published in France, "Sarko m'a tuer, a former nurse donna mentions even envelopes containing liquid taken directly from Sarkozy at Bettencourt before the presidential elections of 2007. Well, all over the affair last year testing, among others, Gérard Davet, a journalist and collaborator of Le Monde (and coauthor of "Sarko m'a tuer '). And the newspaper, already in the autumn of 2010, had pointed the finger at the Elysée Palace, accusing him of having used the Dcri, the internal secret services, to check Davet and discover its ' Mole ' in the Ministry of the Interior.

At that time, Brice Hortefeux, who was in charge of that Ministry, had denied a decision: "The Dcri mica is the Stasis", he said, angry. Now, however, the investigating judge Sylvia Zimmermann, who is investigating the affair, after Le Monde had reported, found that it was all true. Counterintelligence churches in Orange, the mobile operator's Davet, his detailed bill, with all the calls made and received in the days of his investigation. The news became public yesterday. And in an editorial published in the afternoon newspaper denouncing "the violation of the law on secrecy of sources to try to limit the leaks on the dossier Bettencourt".

For Claude Guéant, current Minister of the Interior, it is "simple findings on telephone communications". Shame that that kind of "investigation" is prohibited by the law of January 4, 2010, approved by President Sarkozy. Not to mention that controls on Davet were always denied by the Government and by Elisha. Note: the guide of the Dcri is Bernard Squarcini, old friend of the President.

Does not end here. Another story, still burning for Sarkozy. It's that Ziad Takieddine, obscure businessman franco-Lebanese, among others to Gaddafi, but also a friend of the circle of Ministers and advisors who make strict French President. Activities, not just clear Takieddine (in Libya), were made known in various articles published this summer by Mediapart information website. The managing editor, Edwy Plenel, a former Le Monde, admitted yesterday that Fabrice Arfi, one of the journalists to investigate the case, received explicit death threats. "To kill him, three bullets in the head takes," he said on the phone to the editor by Mediapart, referring to Arfi, another strange character, Pierre Sellier, owner of a private company economic intelligence, close to the Group of the faithful and sarkozysti Takieddine. Sellier was referring to Arfi. And it was not exactly pleased of his investigations.

Sometimes, however, the work of journalists is favored by Elisha. Or at least what professionals ' information friends. Aurélie Filippetti, said Socialist Deputy, originally from Lorraine (daughter of a Communist miner and grandson of Italian immigrants). Two years ago the Filippetti finds himself in a police station to denounce the mate then marital violence. "I went out to ten and a half in the evening – tells today – and at six in the morning of the day after my complaint was already in the Figaro". It is one of the major French newspapers, owned by businessman Serge Dassault, a friend said Sarkozy. "Some journalists called me – explained Filippetti authors of the book «Sarkozy m'a tuer» – telling me that they had obtained the information from the Elysée Palace, very close to the President." Apparently the police didn't have time to contact those of duty. The Filippetti, which in France is well known, very hard in his crusades anti-sarkozyste, he had his own private life slammed his spite on that newspaper. "The Figaro – admitted – is a channel of information to narrow Élysée dependencies".