Chirac breaks silence on political scandal

French President Jacques Chirac yesterday broke his silence to denounce a “dictatorship of rumours” at the heart of a political scandal tarnishing his government, and he rebuffed calls to sack his prime minister.

Chirac said he has “full confidence” in Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, suspected of having sought to smear a rival and leading hopeful in next year’s presidential elections, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy.