French president's partner tweeting again after storm

PARIS - French first lady Valerie Trierweiler was tweeting again on Sunday for the first time since she provoked a political storm with a jibe against President Francois Hollande's ex-partner.

Trierweiler had said last week she would think twice before tweeting, after Hollande delivered a rebuke to his partner, telling those close to him to ensure that personal matters were kept private.

In her tweet at the height of France's parliamentary election campaign last month, Trierweiler backed an opponent of Segolene Royal, the president's ex-partner and mother of their four children.

The tweet attracted widespread media coverage around the world with the French press calling it an embarrassment to the newly-elected Hollande and setting off a debate about the role of the first lady, now dubbed Tweetweiler.

In Sunday's tweet, Trierweiler referred to Hollande's speech at a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the "Vel' d'Hiv Roundup" - when police in occupied France used a velodrome to hold thousands of Jews who were subsequently sent to the Auschwitz death camp and other camps.

"Everything is going well dear friends. Magnificent speech by the president commemorating the Vel d'Hiv roundup. Very moving," she tweeted.

Last week, Trierweiler told French television she would "count to 10" before tweeting.

Her comment followed a statement by Hollande declaring: "Private affairs are resolved in private. And I have told this to those close to me so they can scrupulously accept this principle."

There has long been speculation of intense rivalry between Royal and Trierweiler.

Hollande stood loyally by Royal as she battled Nicolas Sarkozy for the presidency in the 2007 race, but he had reportedly been in a relationship since 2005 with Trierweiler, a twice-divorced 47-year-old mother of three.