Sarkozy to sue website over claims of messages to ex-wife

Paris: French President Nicolas Sarkozy has taken legal action against the website of Le Nouvel Observateur magazine over an article describing what it said was a text message he had sent to his ex-wife Cecilia, his lawyer said on Thursday.

The message reportedly read, "If you come back, I'll cancel everything," in an supposed reference to his wedding to former supermodel and singer Carla Bruni, which took place on February 2.

The suit accused the weekly of "falsification and the use and procurement of falsified documents" over an article that appeared on February 6 headed "The obsession with Cecilia", said lawyer Thierry Herzog.

On Tuesday a court in Paris awarded the president symbolic damages of one euro against the budget airline Ryanair for unauthorised use of a photograph of him and his Bruni in an advertisement for cheap air tickets.