France's Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has declared his intention to run for the presidency next April. The announcement had been widely expected, and Mr Sarkozy is the favourite to win the election, according to recent opinion polls. His centre-right UMP party is due to select its candidate in January and President Jacques Chirac is not expected to seek a third term. Whoever wins the UMP's race will face the Socialist Party's Segolene Royal. "I feel I have the strength, the energy and the desire to propose a different view of France," Mr Sarkozy said in an interview to be published in a number of regional newspapers on Thursday. "I have the ambition to develop a new relationship with the French based on two words: confidence and respect. Confidence in pledges made and respect for every Frenchman considered individually."
The announcement had been widely expected, and Mr Sarkozy is the favourite to win the election, according to recent opinion polls.
His centre-right UMP party is due to select its candidate in January and President Jacques Chirac is not expected to seek a third term.
Whoever wins the UMP's race will face the Socialist Party's Segolene Royal.
"I feel I have the strength, the energy and the desire to propose a different view of France," Mr Sarkozy said in an interview to be published in a number of regional newspapers on Thursday.
"I have the ambition to develop a new relationship with the French based on two words: confidence and respect. Confidence in pledges made and respect for every Frenchman considered individually."
I note that his slogan "rupture tranquille", while absurd on its face, hints at Mitterrand's "force tranquille", a interesting and unexpected move. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
rupure tranquille would be the same with rupture. It makes no sense, but it rings bells. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
