Royal accuses rivals over ‘Segogate’

Segolene Royal, the socialist candidate beaten by Nicolas Sarkozy in last year's French presidential election, has accused supporters of Sarkozy of being involved in a break-in at her flat – a claim that is being called, inevitably, "Segogate". She voiced her suspicions yesterday on France 2 news, but stopped short of saying the President was directly involved himself.

Royal's apartment, in the quiet Parisian suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt, was broken into on June 27. It was also burgled last spring during the presidential campaign. On both occasions, nothing appeared to have been stolen. Royal, 54, says she believes that there was a "link" between the recent break-in and her accusation the previous day that the Sarkozys' wealthy friends were mounting a "takeover" of France. This followed Sarkozy’s decision to ban advertising from state-owned television – potentially increasing by €450m annually the revenue of commercial television channels owned, or controlled, by his close friends.

Said Royal: "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. I make a link between the two events." Asked if she was making an accusation against the "forces in power", she replied: "It's a bizarre coincidence... This is the second time my apartment has been ransacked. I am the only politician to denounce strongly the moves being made to undermine the state television services... There is a kidnapping going on, a robbery of the advertising revenue on France 2 and France 3 to enrich Sarkozy's friends."

However, her comments were immediately dismissed by politicians close to Sarkozy who claim that her remarks were simply a way of drawing attention to her campaign to become the first secretary of the Parti Socialiste in October, the first move towards mounting a challenge for the presidency in 2012.