So there are eleven official candidates, twelve if Bové is accepted.
Position on referendum from strong yes to strong no :
# François Bayrou (UDF) # Nicolas Sarkozy (UMP) (Chirac-like with regards to Europe. Mostly sees Europe as a way to get benefits for some supporters, and to shift blame) # Dominique Voynet (Verts) (party divided, but everybody respected the party line after the party vote, unlike PS) # Ségolène Royal (PS) (party divided, campaigned for Yes) # Olivier Besancenot (Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire)(nominally internationalist; doesn't want a liberal Europe) # Arlette Laguiller (Lutte Ouvrière)(same as above) # Marie-George Buffet (PCF)(same as above, but the PC has also been more "nationalist" since the 80s) # Frédéric Nihous (Chasse, pêche, nature, traditions) (ruralist, and feels EU is responsible for disparitions of public service in countryside, and worse, for shorter hunting periods) # Gérard Schivardi (soutenu par le Parti des Travailleurs) (in order to get its 500 signatures, has a platform defending "mayors" and "departments" against more recent divisions such as intercommunality and... Europe) # Philippe de Villiers (Mouvement pour la France) # Jean-Marie Le Pen (Front national) Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
In terms of personal opinion, I'd rank Sarkozy below Royal. Sarkozy is not pro-European, and he hardly campaigned for the oui last year, even though it was his party in power. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
The official announcement of the list of candidates takes place on Monday. In 2002, there were sixteen, so, Bové or not Bové, there will not be so many this time.
