Roger Karoutchi, France’s Secretary of State for Parliamentary Relations and a close friend of President Nicholas Sarkozy, has revealed he is gay. The former MEP and senator made the claim in an interview conducted in advance of the release of his autobiography.

Pink News reports:

“I have a partner and I’m happy with him. As I’m happy, I see no reason why I should hide that.”

Mr Karoutchi becomes the first openly gay minister in France.

The Mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoe, is one of the few out gay people in French politics and is a possible candidate for the Presidency in 2012.

Unlike the UK, the French press rarely report on the personal lives of politicians.

During his 2007 Presidential campaign Mr Sarkozy made some positive references to gay rights, though he reiterated his opposition to gay marriage.

Openly gay Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe easily won re-election on Sunday, adding to the speculation that he will be the Socialist Party’s nominee to oppose President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2012.

If elected, Delanoe would become the first openly gay man to lead a major world power in modern times, according to 365 Gay.

The Web site reports:

Sunday’s civic elections dealt a stinging warning to Sarkozy by throwing his party out of office in a string of towns and cities, including the conservative Strasbourg.

It was a sobering reminder of how the 53-year-old Sarkozy has shrunk in the estimation of some voters since he was elected last May on a program of in-depth economic and social change for France.

While Bertrand Delanoe may be coasting towards an easy re-election in next week’s Parisian mayoral election, the Socialist Party has bigger plans for him.

The party wants him to run for president — a move that would make Delanoe the first openly gay head of a major country, according to 365Gay. They see him as the best hope to defeat incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in 2012.

Since coming into office in May, Sarkozy’s approval ratings have plummeted.

Delanoe has been an extremely popular mayor, particularly with the poor and middle class, and polls show him far ahead in the polls going into next week’s election.

A mysterious e-mail sent to an Islamic Web site has caused concern among French prosecutors. The e-mail urged attacks on both openly gay mayor Bernard Delanoe as well as tourist sites around the city, according to the Associated Press.
Anonymous government sources said that the message was sent to an site run by Salafists — Islamic fundamentalists.
The AP reports that Delanoe is not shaken by the news.

“I am calm. I have the information I need and I have complete confidence in the work … of police headquarters vis-a-vis security problems in general, terrorism in particular and finally the protection of the mayor of Paris,” Delanoe said later on the TV station iTele.
The anti-terrorism section of the Paris prosecutor’s office is overseeing the investigation by the French counterespionage agency known as the DST, the judicial officials said.