Smear attempts on campaign trail

MARTINE Aubry has become the first victim of political mud-slinging in the 2012 presidential campaign, reacting furiously to rumours spread online that she believes were put out to discredit her.

Ms Aubry is taking legal action against a blogger for publishing allegations about her personal life – including rumours of a drink problem that she strongly denies – and remarks about her husband’s claimed links to Islam.

Meanwhile, François Hollande has complained of political point-scoring by opponents following stories connecting him with Tristane Banon’s claim of attempted rape by Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

No claims have been made against Hollande himself, but he is expected to be called to give evidence in court this month about whether he was made aware of the complaints against Strauss-Kahn back in 2003.

Banon’s mother, a Socialist councillor, is reported to have told Hollande about the alleged incident at the time, when he was leader of the Socialist party.

Hollande’s allies say he is being unfairly linked to the case for political reasons. The former party leader put out a statement saying: “I’ve nothing to hide and nothing to feel uneasy about but I will not allow this case to be exploited politically.”