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French minister says she will run for presidential race
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French minister says she will run for presidential race
French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie (photo) has confirmed she plans to seek the nomination of the ruling UMP party to run in next year?s presidential election, challenging party frontrunner Nicolas Sarkozy.
?I think today that I am ready because I have a certain experience of things and I have worked for it?, she was quoted as saying by the daily Le Figaro after a party meeting late on Wednesday.
The declaration, which follows a series of indications that suggested she might run, pits her against Sarkozy, the tough talking interior minister and UMP party chief, who confirmed last month he would seek the nomination at a special party meeting on January 14.
Sarkozy is the overwhelming favourite to win the nomination, which would pit him against Socialist Segolene Royal in next April?s election.
No full-blooded primary
He is neck-and-neck with Royal in the opinion polls but he has faced accusations from some in the party that his hardline stance and autocratic leadership style will alienate many mainstream voters.
He has invited critics to challenge him in a mini-primary, which kicks off with a debate this weekend.
The contest, modest compared to six weeks of rallies and televised debates the opposition Socialists use to pick Royal mid-month, is seen as a sop to internal critics and a response to polls showing UMP members wanted a full-blooded primary.
Alliot-Marie, who has clashed with Sarkozy in the past, said she would support him if he had the backing of the party.
?If, in a few weeks, it appears that Nicolas Sarkozy is the candidate with the greatest chance of winning...I will support him,? the paper quoted her as saying. ?And I am sure that Nicolas Sarkozy will do the same for me?.
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