French foreign minister faces calls to resign

Article reports that Michèle Alliot-Marie, the French Foreign Minister once tipped to be prime minister, faced calls for her resignation in February 2011, for the second time within a month, amid renewed controversy over links with the discredited regime of former Tunisian president Zein al-Abidine Ben Ali deposed in January 2011.

Subsequently, it also emerged that France’s Prime Minister François Fillon said that his his family had been treated to a recent holiday by Egypt’s embattled President Hosni Mubarak.

BBC News, 8.2.11: French PM Fillon says Mubarak lent him plane on holiday http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12397397

France24, 8.2.11: French PM says Mubarak paid for holiday on Nile http://www.france24.com/en/20110208-french-pm-fillon-admits-holiday-egypt-paid-mubarak-alliot-marie-tunisia

BBC News, 7.2.11: French minister Alliot-Marie admits Tunisia 'error' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12380163

France24, 7.2.11: Foreign affairs chief under fire over Tunisia flights http://www.france24.com/en/20110207-france-tunisia-alliot-marie-foreign-affairs-minister-tunisia-private-jet

France24, 22.2.11: French diplomacy's ghastly new year http://www.france24.com/en/20110222-french-diplomacy-ghastly-new-year-sarkozy-mam-tunisia-cassez-boillon

Le Monde, 23.2.11: Sarkozy accused of amateurism (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/513241-sarkozy-accused-amateurism

EUObserver, 9.2.11: France faces second 'Air Dictator' scandal http://euobserver.com/9/31775

BBC News, 16.2.11: New furore grips France over minister's Tunisia links http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12479494

France24, 17.2.11: French foreign minister hangs on despite calls to quit http://www.france24.com/en/20110217-france-foreign-minister-alliot-marie-resign-tunisia-paris-sarkozy

ESO: Background information: How did the world get Tunisia so wrong? http://www.europeansources.info/record/how-did-the-world-get-tunisia-so-wrong/

France24, 3.2.11: Foreign minister rules out resigning over Ben Ali link http://www.france24.com/en/20110203-france-foreign-minister-rules-out-resigning-over-tunisia-links-ben-ali-jet

EurActiv, 9.2.11: 'Holiday gate' rocks French government http://www.euractiv.com/elections/holiday-gate-rocks-french-govern-news-502002

---