For France's bloggers, c'est la guerre

Last autumn, amid much controversy, one of the most popular and influential French political bloggeurs, Loïc Le Meur, came out in support of the UMP's official presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy. Now Le Meur - a consummate self-publicist, the author of a book on monetarising blogs, and an employee of the blogging software company Six Apart - is an key part of Sarkozy's campaign strategy. At least, that's what the UMP campaign organigramme revealed by Libération and republished by Le Meur yesterday reveals, although I would not be altogether surprised if Le Meur were found to have suggested it himself. ("Well researched, Libé, not at all far off what I know and a pretty good graphic," he congratulated the newspaper.)