Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

POLITICS

Man guilty of posting bullets to Sarkozy

A man judged "a danger to himself and others" has been sentenced to jail for posting bullets to several prominent French politicians, including Nicolas Sarkozy.

Published: 16 January 2013 10:19 CET
Man guilty of posting bullets to Sarkozy
Photo: Søren Faurby

Thierry Jérôme, 54, caused panic among France’s political class in 2009 when he sent around 40 threatening letters along with bullets to the country's top politicians.

The former president Sarkozy and former Prime Minister François Fillon were his two most high profile victims.

Other recipients of his threats included former ministers Rachida Dati, Michèle Alliot-Marie and Christine Albanel.

Jérôme, who suffers from psychiatric problems, also sent similar parcels to French media companies TF1 and AFP. He signed off all his letters with the signature “cell 34”.

Jérôme was handed a one year suspended jail sentence by a Paris court, French radio Europe1 reported on Tuesday. He was also ordered to seek psychiatric help and banned from owning a firearm for five years.

According to Europe1, a psychiatric assessment of Jérôme determined he was "a danger to himself  and to others".

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

POLITICS

Macron ready to ‘open debate’ on nuclear European defence

French President Emmanuel Macron is ready to "open the debate" about the role of nuclear weapons in a common European defence, he said in an interview published Saturday.

Published: 28 April 2024 13:10 CEST
Macron ready to 'open debate' on nuclear European defence

It was just the latest in a series of speeches in recent months in which he has stressed the need for a European-led defence strategy.

“I am ready to open this debate which must include anti-missile defence, long-range capabilities, and nuclear weapons for those who have them or who host American nuclear armaments,” the French president said in an interview with regional press group EBRA.

“Let us put it all on the table and see what really protects us in a credible manner,” he added.

France will “maintain its specificity but is ready to contribute more to the defence of Europe”.

The interview was carried out Friday during a visit to Strasbourg.

Following Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, France is the only member of the bloc to possess its own nuclear weapons.

In a speech Thursday to students at Paris’ Sorbonne University, Macron warned that Europe faced an existential threat from Russian aggression.

He called on the continent to adopt a “credible” defence strategy less dependent on the United States.

“Being credible is also having long-range missiles to dissuade the Russians.

“And then there are nuclear weapons: France’s doctrine is that we can use them when our vital interests are threatened,” he added.

“I have already said there is a European dimension to these vital interests.”

Constructing a common European defence policy has long been a French objective, but it has faced opposition from other EU countries who consider NATO’s protection to be more reliable.

However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the possible return of the isolationist Donald Trump as US president has given new life to calls for greater European defence autonomy.

SHOW COMMENTS