Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne sued the publisher of The Secret, biography concerning her, so that he withdrew passages because of invasions of his privacy. In this summons before the Nanterre court, which AFP was able to consult, Elisabeth Borne requests the deletion, “in any new edition or reprint”, of numerous passages from the book by journalist Bérengère Bonte, put on sale in bookstores on May 4 by Editions de l’Archipel. This deletion would empty the book of a good part of its substance, subject to a penalty of 1,000 euros per violation found.
The head of government lists passages “referring to her health and sexual orientation”, as well as “those referring to her family life, this information cannot fall within the scope of a legitimate freedom of information for the public “.
One euro in damages
In a press release, the Archipelago editions defended the quality of the author’s work. “This book, the result of a year of investigation, dozens of interviews including two long interviews with Ms. Borne as well as others with eminent members of her cabinet, her family and her close circle of friends to whom she had given her consent, is the first biography of the Prime Minister appointed on May 16, 2022, ”they detailed.
The copies currently on sale can remain as is and do not have to be withdrawn, said the Prime Minister’s lawyer, Emilie Sudre. She claims one euro in damages and 5,000 euros in legal costs.
A hearing is scheduled for May 24.