Former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt stated that the late French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing intentionally harassed her by touching her thigh during a dinner at the French embassy in Copenhagen in the early 2000s. At that time, the president, referred to as "VGE" by the French, was in his late seventies but still active in politics as the president of the European Convention. He passed away last December at the age of 94 after contracting COVID-19.
Before his death, several women accused him of inappropriate behavior, including a German correspondent who alleged that the former French president harassed her multiple times during an interview with him in 2018. His lawyer strongly denied these allegations. Giscard d'Estaing also wrote a famous romantic novel in 2009 titled "The Princess and the President," depicting an affair between the French head of state and a fictional Cardiff princess—a character many believe is based on Diana, Princess of Wales. He later insisted it was entirely fictional.
In an interview on the program "21 Søndag" on Sunday, Thorning said, "I remember that the former French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing did that to me." She added, "I am sure he harassed me before," and noted, "Unfortunately, he has passed away and is no longer with us."
Thorning made these comments during a promotional tour for her new book, "Blonde Considerations," which includes her views on feminist activism and the #MeToo movement, released on Monday. She mentioned that she chose not to speak about the harassment incident until now because she did not want to appear as a victim or weak. However, she decided to break her silence due to concerns that the #MeToo movement was losing momentum.
She expressed hope that her book would raise awareness that all women are potential targets of inappropriate behavior, regardless of their social status. Since resigning as Prime Minister and leader of the Social Democrats after losing the 2015 general election, she has held the position of CEO of Save the Children until 2019. She currently holds several administrative positions, including a seat on the supervisory board of Facebook.
