The Princes and the Press
Column Jürg Altwegg wonders about self-imposed and imposed muzzles.
Paris Match executed the judgment in the trial brought by Albert II against
the magazine: In red letters on a white background
it had to be published on the envelope. In the first instance
it was even more drastic: The entire front page was to be used for
the judge's prose is used - and the letters three
centimeters tall.
The case is clear: Paris Match had informed the public about the
existence of an illegitimate son of Albert II. Few
Days after the story was published, Albert
the world about the "prince's little one". The press was
the mother. The process that he had to go through in Germany for the same
Albert II lost the case against Bunte on a high note.
The case does not only concern the French. It has a
European dimension. In France, people's privacy is
better protected than in any other country. But the law will
systematically abused.
When Caroline, the daughter of Prince Rainier and the American
actress Grace Kelly, was born, a new era began.
These photos were sold in France for the first time. The winning bid was
France Soir at the time. After the involuntary premiere, Caroline
record in her life: she has been involved in around 350 lawsuits.
against the media and won 95 percent of them. More than
three million Swiss francs in compensation have been paid to her.
has been awarded. The excitement surrounding the "Caroline judgment" in
Germany shows that French case law is also very much
begins to influence the other countries of Europe.
The law is also abused by politicians. In the proceedings in
Paris v Paris Match was a civil case. Nevertheless
The public prosecutor suddenly appeared and demanded a
exemplary punishment. It was, he said bluntly, about protection
of the candidates for the presidential election. This was Sarkozy, who
Minister of the Interior, who conducted his marriage in public, so to speak, his
made Mrs. Cecilia head of the cabinet, went on television with the children
went - but threatened the press with lawsuits when Cecilia was
had run away. Because the French newspapers were silent
Peter Rothenbühler's Lausanne Le Matin to new fame: Sarkozy
has sued him.
In his editorial, Paris Match boss Alain Genestar described the appearance
of the public prosecutor and called him a "one-time
process". In other countries, such a scandal is described in
the dimensions of Watergate. But no French newspaper has
lost a line about it, everyone is afraid of Sarkozy, the next
President - who also organized the publication of a 25,000-copy
printed biography of Cecilia. Genestar garnished
the publication of the scandalous judgment with a
Solidarity campaign. The bosses of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung,
of the Guardian, Repubblica and El Pais expressed their criticism
for sentencing. Peter Rothenbühler was also sentenced. One may conclude
that something like a European public sphere is slowly emerging.
is in the making.
There is a second piece of good news. In the meantime, Cecilia has moved in with Nicolas
has returned, the Minister of the Interior is no longer home alone in the evening.
Because Sarkozy - for example during the riots in the suburbs
- had acted like a horned macho, this is politically of
of the highest importance. The journalists know they can report on
Writing about Sarkozy's private life. Only the little Le Matin from Switzerland
the national idyll and the restored marital peace in the
Grande Nation with a petty report. He published
a contribution about the circumstances of Cecilia's return: she was
jealous of the new woman at Sarkozy's side. The fact that it was
was a - and which! - Figaro journalist was involved, we know
only thanks to the Lausanne tabloid.
Jürg Altwegg is cultural correspondent for the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, based in Geneva. These days
Hanser published his new book "Ein Tor, in Gottes Namen".
