From the Huffington Post: President Francois Hollande’s girlfriend set the French political establishment aghast Tuesday with a tweet seen as a dig against his ex-wife.

The tweet of support to Olivier Falorni, a politician in western France, was signed by Valerie Trierweiler and went viral on the Internet and dominated news shows.

It was seen as a dig at Segolene Royal, the mother of Hollande’s four children. Royal, also a former Socialist presidential candidate, is running against Falorni in the Charente-Maritime region in Sunday’s parliamentary elections final round.

The tweet starts: “Have courage, Olivier Falorni.” But it is easily interpreted as a not-so-veiled dig at Royal.

The Socialist Party recently banished Falorni for failing to step aside in favor of Royal, so he is running as a dissident candidate. After last Sunday’s first-round vote, Royal holds a narrow lead over Falorni.

Trierweiler, a journalist and avid tweeter, has made no secret of her determination to retain her independence, or of her discomfort with the image and chores of a first lady.  Continue.