'Non': Chirac says constitution puts him above the law

"It's war" is the daily Le Parisien's verdict.

"A new boundary has been crossed in the deteriorating relations between the judiciary and the presidential palace," the paper writes.

Meanwhile, France-Soir points out that most French people fail to understand why the president should be "untouchable", given that "a certain 14th July made all citizens equal in the eyes of the law".

A cartoon in Le Monde shows a judge, surrounded by cameras, at the gates of the president's office, shouting through a megaphone: "The game's up, Jacques!!! Come out slowly, hands on your head!!", to which is added in smaller writing: "And get a move on!".

Inconceivable

Other papers appear express criticism of the judge, especially over his threat to force the president to appear.

The Nancy-based French regional paper L'Est Republicain said: "It is obviously inconceivable to imagine that one can call on the police to force the head of state to give evidence."

The paper says under the French constitution, gendarmes could not force the president to the judge's office, which would mean the president could not be forced to give evidence.

Several newspapers have similar headlines, highlighting Mr Chirac's anger at being summonsed, and even at being addressed as plain "Mr" rather than "President".

The president, who enjoys immunity from prosecution while he is in office, said he would resist pressure on him to give evidence as a witness in the courts because he was the "guarantor of the independence of justice... I cannot be answerable to a magistrate".