Quotes of the Day

The scandal engulfing France's ruling duet, Dominique de Villepin and Jacques Chirac, is intensifying this week, with every day bringing new details to the public eye — and seemingly benefiting only conservative rival Nicolas Sarkozy.

Last week, a long-meandering legal investigation exploded in national headlines with reports that in 2004 Chirac and Villepin had recruited a legendary French super-spy to conduct a covert inquiry into a kickback operation that Sarkozy allegedly profited from. Investigating magistrates have since determined evidence denouncing the corruption scheme and implicating Sarkozy and other French VIPs was fabricated; they're now searching for the anonymous whistle-blower to try for false accusation. But revelations that Villepin and Chirac had gotten early wind of the allegations — and had sought to confirm them while leaving Sarkozy in the dark — left them looking last week like dirty-tricksters ready to use any means to derail the surging Sarkozy's quest for the Elysée.

Both Villepin and Chirac denied suggestions of under-handed conniving. Villepin added that he'd launched the investigation, while he was foreign minister, "to defend national security and the interests of our country", since the alleged kickback scheme was linked to a $2.8 billion sale of French frigates to Taiwan in 1991. Villepin also claimed the faked list of businessmen and politicians allegedly involved had not yet been sent to legal officials by the anonymous accuser when he ordered the inquiry — indicating that Sarkozy's name hadn't surfaced by then.

Within hours, however, Le Monde published testimony it said retired French super-sleuth Philippe Rondot has given, stipulating Villepin told him orders for the investigation "came from Jacques Chirac". Le Monde also quoted notes Rondot took during the same briefing from Villepin — and now in the possession of legal authorities — reading, "Political stake: N. Sarkozy. Fixation on N. Sarkozy [re: conflict J. Chirac/N. Sarkozy]".

On Tuesday, Rondot retorted in an interview with the daily Le Figaro that "Villepin never asked me to look into politicians. He added the notes Le Monde cited were simply his own thoughts and observations that arose during his meeting with Villepin, and which were being misinterpreted as directives in hindsight. Villepin, meanwhile, used a radio interview the same day to forcefully declare he wouldn't resign as a result of the scandal — an assurance that nonetheless acknowledged there was pressure for him to do so.

Despite those efforts to put a positive spin on last week's news, they failed to dissipate public sentiment that Sarkozy had survived under-handed efforts to trip him up. Some noted that the most the recent revelations reinforced earlier revelations of how intelligence services had led a later investigation into the allegations against Sarkozy — but failed to inform him, even after they'd cleared his name. Against all that, Sarkozy is now able to assume the role of stoic victim, and reap the windfall from the hubris without having to counter-attack.

"If after all these scandals I become president one day," Sarkozy quipped, "then you'll be able to say I really deserved it."

• BRUCE CRUMLEY
• Villepin under pressure as smear tactics row escalates