Appointments may be made with the judges before Christmas

End now, and soon: on Wednesday, the Council of Ministers should give its green light to the hearing of Dominique de Villepin, in the Clearstream case. Appointments may be made with the judges before Christmas. It is not sure, however, that Henri Pons and Jean-Marie of Huy, responsible for the record, questioning the Prime Minister at the financial center, Italian Street in Paris. "The goal is that this be done as calmly as possible," said a close source of the investigation. A more "quiet" place could be found. The hearing is likely to be long, because several questions remain, which or Jean-Pierre Raffarin or Michèle Alliot-Marie heard for more than eleven hours by the judges responded. "There is no question to which I can respond", repeated at will the Prime Minister.

Legally, however, there is definitely play: a change of status to that of assisted witness or a referral to the Court of justice of the Republic are still possible, but they seem unlikely, at this stage of the investigation. Since the beginning of their investigations, judges always revolve around the role and the motivations of Dominique de Villepin. In his defence, he insists that he did that his duty to Minister in speeding in 2004, the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior, checks on the names on the lists of Clearstream, many personalities (including Nicolas Sarkozy) intended to hold secret accounts abroad.

Widely shared relief

Remains that the end of the statement of the Darkover case relieves everyone. "The Prime Minister looks forward to and quickly make his testimony." "It is confidence to justice so that the truth be made in this case," reported Saturday morning services of Matignon.

Terse, the release is less explicit. The head of Government is a real relief. His hearing as a simple witness means clear that the judges Jean-Marie of Huy and Henri Pons have, for the moment, no charge against him. A hearing as "assisted witness" would have sounded the death knell of its mandate at Matignon. It would also seriously shaken all its opportunities to participate in the presidential election of 2007.

With Nicolas Sarkozy, the end of the matter is also expected with impatience. Because, after having relaunched the record in constituting civil party on January 31, the very official UMP presidential candidate knows that it might now turn against him: Imad Lahoud, a character key of the case, said he met Nicolas Sarkozy to two occasions September 16 and December 8, 2004 to talk with him to the manipulation of the files. The Minister of the Interior, formally disavowing did wear Friday its agendas to the judges.

Even if in private, Nicolas Sarkozy remains persuaded that Dominique de Villepin has promoted a "conspiracy" to try to shoot him politically, it has no interest that the Clearstream case Vienna pollute its campaign. If the case has created strong political turmoil, she also rotten atmosphere between magistrates and dramatically increased tensions between the financial center, the Prosecutor's Office and the courthouse. The hearing of Dominique de Villepin, which marks the end of the investigation, should be allowed not without relief by the judges themselves.