Valerie Trierweiler claims she was drugged with 'astronomical doses of tranquillisers' to prevent her from Francois Hollande affair scandal

The former French First Lady suggests she was kept in hospital to stop her from talking

Hollande offers a rose to his then-companion Valerie Trierweiler, in Tulle, southwestern France back in 2012

Valerie Trierweiler has suggested that she was drugged with “astronomical doses of tranquillisers” to keep her in hospital and away from more potential scandal, following allegations François Hollande was having an affair with actress Julie Gayet.

She made the claims in her new book, Thank You For This Moment, which has already shot to the top of the French bestseller list. The French journalist is expected to be paid at least €500,000 (£396,000) for the memoir.

Trierweiler was hospitalised after discovering news of the alleged affair, but told the President that she wanted to travel to his Tulle power-base for his New Year’s greetings.

The following day she claims that she was "unable to get up". The Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, where Trierweiler was being treated, declined to comment.

"Every time I try and put a foot out of the bed, I collapse… I only understood why later," she wrote. "The doses of tranquillisers were over-multiplied to stop me going to Tulle."

She goes onto mention "instructions from on high to increase my dose".

Trierweiler attempted a drugs overdose at hearing of her then partner's alleged infidelities.

"The news about [Hollande’s affair with] Julie Gayet was top of the news that morning," she wrote. "I cracked. I couldn’t listen to it any more. I ran into the bathroom and grabbed the little plastic bag of sleeping pills."

"François followed me. He tried to rip the bag out of my hand. I ran into the bedroom. He got hold of the bag and it ripped. Pills fell all over the bed and the floor. I got hold of some of them and swallowed as many as I could."

"I wanted to sleep. I didn’t want to live through the hours (of humiliation) that were coming. I knew that a storm was going to break over my head and I didn’t have the strength to go through it. I wanted to run from it. I lost consciousness."

Trierweiler also accused of Hollande of having mocked the poor, despite his Socialist roots.

"He, the man of the Left, calls them the toothless ones," wrote Trierweiler. "He’s very proud of his humour. He stood for election as a man who does not like the rich. In reality, the President does not like the poor."