Drug crimes of the brothers of the French justice minister from Morocco

Kerstin Gehmlich:

The legal troubles of two brothers of France's justice minister are embarrassing the former poor immigrant's child, whose ascent into government has fascinated the nation, but they are unlikely to tarnish her political star.

Rachida Dati's brother Omar is to face trial on drugs charges in November, a prosecutor said on Wednesday, a day after an appeals court sentenced another of her 11 siblings, Jamal, to a year in prison for consuming and selling heroin.

Analysts say this will not spoil the minister's success.

"It's not her. It's about people that might be close to her ... it should have no bearing on her ability to do her job," said Hall Gardner of the American University of Paris.

Dati, a trained judge, was hardly known to most French when President Nicolas Sarkozy appointed her after his May election, but she has since been labelled a showcase member of his ethnically diverse government.

Dati remains popular, with 53 percent of French wanting a more important role for her, a recent TNS Sofres poll showed. Analysts say she benefits from the immense popularity of her sponsor, Sarkozy.

"Her image is very much associated to that of Sarkozy. It's Sarkozy who has offered her a portfolio and visibility," said Francois Miquet-Marty from pollster LH2, adding Dati had even joined the president's family on a holiday in the United States.

Newspapers have savoured every detail of how the daughter of a Moroccan bricklayer and an illiterate Algerian housewife financed her studies by selling face creams door-to-door and by working as a night nurse.

Three books on the youthful 41-year old, who almost always carries a bright smile, are coming out in the next few weeks amid increasing French interest in politicians' private lives.

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