“My electorate are rednecks”: the AFP apologised to Nicolas Sarkozy – BFMTV.COM

The article has been shared thousands of times on social networks. Last week, the website of Obs reported of about off on loan to Nicolas Sarkozy at a lunch on 18 October with representatives of the Agence France Presse (AFP), are not published by the latter. “My electorate is people are slobs”, would have dropped the candidate in the primary from the right, according to information from the magazine. An ex-president of the Republic of insulting his electorate? Not the best effect in less than a month from the first round of voting…

Contacted by Obs before the publication of the article, the camp Sarkozy had opposed a “formal denial”. For the entourage of the candidate, “we want to bring it to the same level as François Hollande, it is outrageous, he has never said that.” Nicolas Sarkozy was shortly after announced, by the voice of his lawyer Thierry Herzog, his intent to commence a defamation complaint against the AFP, and Obs.

Letter of apology from the president (AFP)

The case bounces back this Thursday: six days after the publication of this article, Paris Match reveals that the president of AFP Emmanuel Hoog has sent a letter to the former head of State to present its “apologies, both personal and professional”, regretting that the comments made during a private breakfast, have been taken over and distorted.

If one believes the weekly, which indicates that it has accessed this mail, Obs would have distorted the words of Nicolas Sarkozy to bring it out of its context. It would in fact draw the attention of the journalists of the AFP, their running: “I know that you think that my constituents are rednecks”.

Obs stubborn

“the case of The ‘rednecks’ is close,” says Paris Match. Can be a little bit fast. Because Obs has answered it in stride and maintains his version. To support the same, explaining will be based on a written account of what was said at this lunch.

“The next day the famous lunch at the AFP, the transcription in writing of the meeting with Nicolas Sarkozy was sent to journalists of the agency, in an internal mail. It is from this transcript that we wanted to know more,” writes Obs, indicating they had interviewed “several persons”. “(…) All we have confirmed the meaning of the words of Nicolas Sarkozy, who were part of a justification of his election strategy. All have indicated to us that it was not about loaned to a third party. It is for this reason that we have decided to publish this sentence.”

But this is not all. in Obs explains that, “the audit made to the AFP”, the sentence “I know that you think that my constituents are rednecks” does not figure in the letter written by Emmanuel Hoog. Despite what suggests the article from Paris Match.

“And for cause”, stresses the magazine, “since this sentence was never pronounced as well. in Obs maintains its share of its information.”