PARIS: French politicians rushed to praise Carla Bruni-Sarkozy today after she dismissed rumours about the state of her marriage to France's President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The supermodel turned singer gave a radio interview on Wednesday in a bid to end the media frenzy surrounding her married life and talk in Sarkozy's own entourage of a plot against the couple.

“This matter is now closed,” said government spokesman Luc Chatel, while the minister for families, Nadine Morano, dubbed Bruni a “stateswoman”.

The French first lady responded after European newspapers reported rumours about the couple's private life and Sarkozy aides alleged that unnamed forces were behind a smear campaign. “These are insignificant rumours that count for nothing. We have never tried to fight them. These are rumours that are unpleasant, but which have no importance,” she told the Europe 1 radio station.

“I don't think that we have been victims of any kind of plot. I think that rumours have always existed, that unfortunately they're part of being human,” she explained, in her first public response to the scandal.

Nevertheless, Bernard Squarcini, the head of France's domestic intelligence agency the DCRI confirmed that his agents had been trying to track down the source of the rumours.

Chatel, the government spokesman, praised Bruni for highlighting that “with today's new technological means, rumours can reach new heights.”