In what has been dubbed 'intrigue in a royal court' by the French press, David Martinon, the French president’s spokesperson, was ousted from the March municipal elections by Jean Sarkozy, son of French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

At the heart of the latest battle that has captured the French media is Neuilly-sur-Seine, a leafy suburb of Paris, where Sarkozy was first elected to the local council as a 22-year-old student. Last year, he secured 87% of the town’s ballots in the presidential election runoff.

The trouble in Neuilly was sparked this weekend when Martinon, who was Sarkozy’s choice for mayor, bowed out of the race, declaring: “The conditions are no longer in place for me to lead the municipal campaign.” The announcement came after Jean and two other members of the ruling UMP party declared they were breaking ranks with Martinon.

The latest familial twists in the Neuilly saga have not helped the French president’s popularity ratings, which have slumped to a record 39 percent, according to a recent poll.

But although Sarkozy’s ratings are dropping, Neuilly, according to many French experts, remains a UMP bastion.

“In a right-wing stronghold like this, there is no political changeover. 80-90% of voters support the UMP party,” said Christpohe Grébert, a local journalist and author of the blog monneuilly.com.

Sarkozy’s choice of Martinon, a political appointee who has never been elected or lived in Neuilly was a controversial choice.

In an interview last April with the French magazine L’Express, Philippe Grange, local councilor and long-time Sarkozy friend, said: “The head of the list will be a Neuilly resident. I do not think that our voters would accept a stranger to the small village that Neuilly is for mayor. Nicolas knows it.”

Experts warn that Sarkozy’s recent intrigues in Neuilly might be too much – even for its rich and famous residents.

Film stars and captains of industry

Neuilly is the richest town in France, according to statistics from the tax office. Residents include film stars such as Sophie Marceau and Jean Reno, and the latter supported Sarkozy’s presidential campaign.

Electronics and arms manufacturer Arnaud Lagardère, who owns radio station Europe 1 and many newspapers and magazines, lives within walking distance of Sarkozy’s former home. So does Martin Bouygues, a global building industry heavyweight who controls TF1, the largest television group in Europe.

Local council meetings in Neuilly feel similar to the board meetings that take place in the La Défense business district across the road. Current mayor Louis-Charles Bary is a former industrialist and ex-vice president of the business lobby group Medef.

Among local councilors, Antoine Dupont-Fauville, for instance, headed banks Crédit du Nord and NSM, and sits on the board of a third one, Neuflize. Nicolas Boudeville is a PriceWaterhouseCooper associate. The list goes on.

As mayor, Sarkozy knew how to use this influential network. He launched Neuilly Communication, an exclusive club – memberships reportedly costs €1,500 per year – designed to rally numerous media executives who have based their home and/or headquarters in the town.

As Sarkozy’s grip loosens on Neuilly, a large number of local UMP figures, including his son, are hoping to repeat his use of the town as a launch pad for a national career.