Hollande's ex demands respect after French First Lady sides with rival

London, June 15 (ANI): President Francois Hollande's former girlfriend Segolene Royal has said that she felt mortified after First Lady Valerie Trierweiler tweeted support to her political rival Olivier Falorni.

Royal has demanded 'respect' from his current girlfriend in an increasingly bitter war of words.

The French media have likened the spat between Royal, the mother of the president's four children, and Trierweiler, who is nicknamed 'The Rottweiler', to 'Dallas at the Elysee Palace'.

Royal, a former presidential candidate who lived with Hollande for 30 years before he left her for Trierweiler, is standing for parliament in the western town of La Rochelle against Left-winger Falorni.

She was outraged when Trierweiler tweeted warm support for Falorni.

Prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault had intervened to tell the new first lady to 'know her place', while a French newspaper described Hollande as 'a man sandwiched between two feisty women'.

More than 24 hours after Trierweiler's tweet, Royal finally reacted publicly at a political meeting in La Rochelle on Wednesday night.

"I did not want to react yesterday because the blow was so violent. But that does not mean I didn't feel mortified by it, I am not a robot," the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.

"I demand respect as the mother of a family whose children hear what is said. I didn't want to respond in the heat of the moment because I am fighting a tough political battle and I need to stay in a good state of mind.

"As a woman politician, I demand to be respected, just as the political support the president is giving me as a candidate should also be respected," she said.

Socialist Royal, who lost the presidential election to Sarkozy in 2007, is now standing for MP against break-away left winger Falorni in the western town of La Rochelle.

While the president is backing his ex-girlfriend to win the seat, Trierweiler wrote on Twitter on Monday: "Good luck to Olivier Falorni who was not unworthy, who has fought for the people of La Rochelle for so many years with selfless commitment." (ANI)