A furious row that erupted this week over the posting of an unauthorised video of Ségolène Royal on the internet has highlighted how far France has plunged into controversial new territory in this presidential election campaign.

As Ms Royal rallies her party for a likely battle with Nicolas Sarkozy, presidential frontrunner on the right, it seems that the use – and abuse – of new, and largely unregulated, means of communication could play a crucial role in determining who wins the Elysée next year.