Francois Hollande hits back at Valerie Trierweiler 'lie' that he hates the poor

French President Francois Hollande has launched a fresh salvo against a scathing memoir written by his former partner, saying he had been particularly hurt by her claim he secretly despises the poor.

Valerie Trierweiler claimed in the book that the Socialist leader jokingly referred to the destitute as "toothless" in private.

She was the president's partner for nine years until he brusquely ended their relationship following revelations he was having an affair with an actress.

In the memoir, entitled Thank You for the Moment, Trierweiler writes that Hollande "portrayed himself as the man who doesn't like the rich. In reality, the president doesn't like the poor."

In an interview published by Le Nouvel Observateur on Wednesday, the Socialist president defended his commitment to the needy as he struggles to stop his popularity ratings from sinking to new depths.

"I don't want people to be able to say or write that I don't care about suffering in society, because that's a lie that hurts me," Hollande said.