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France election: De Villepin to stand for president France election: De Villepin to stand for president
(40 minutes later)
French former prime minister and conservative politician Dominique de Villepin has announced he will stand for president in the 2012 election. French former prime minister and centre-right politician Dominique de Villepin has announced he will stand for president in the 2012 election.
The long-time rival of incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy made his announcement on French TV.The long-time rival of incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy made his announcement on French TV.
Mr Sarkozy himself has not formally declared a bid for re-election but is widely expected to do so.Mr Sarkozy himself has not formally declared a bid for re-election but is widely expected to do so.
France's Socialist opposition recently elected Francois Hollande as their candidate for the Elysee Palace.France's Socialist opposition recently elected Francois Hollande as their candidate for the Elysee Palace.
Recent opinion polls suggested Mr de Villepin would have little chance of winning the election but correspondents say he could draw away vital votes from a Sarkozy candidacy in the first round. Recent opinion polls suggested Mr de Villepin would only get 1 or 2% of the vote.
His candidacy will certainly annoy the president because he will take away precious votes in the first round of the election at the end of April, the BBC's Hugh Schofield reports from Paris.
But it is hard to see him as a serious contender as many of his former friends and allies have moved over to President Sarkozy's camp, our correspondent adds.
Furthermore, he has just been named in a corruption enquiry, accused of putting pressure on a businessman not to give information to the police that might implicate one of his friends.
'Reuniting France'
Mr de Villepin is presenting himself as a candidate above party politics, correspondents say. He recently set up a new political movement, United Republic (French: Republique solidaire), which contains members of Mr Sarkozy's ruling UMP party.
"I want to reunite all the French, those on the left, those on the right, and those in the centre," he told the TF1 channel.
"I intend to defend a certain idea of France," Mr de Villepin.
His words evoked a famous phrase of General de Gaulle, our correspondent says.
The former prime minister said he was "concerned" to see France "humiliated by the law of markets which encroaches further and further in austerity".
This was a clear reference to the deal in Europe just masterminded by Mr Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in order to save the euro, our correspondent says.
Troubled careerTroubled career
"I intend to defend a certain idea of France," Mr de Villepin told the TF1 channel, his words quoted by le Monde newspaper.
"I have a conviction: the 2012 meeting will a meeting of truth, courage and will."
He said he was "concerned" to see France "humiliated by the law of markets which encroaches further and further in austerity".
"I want to reunite all the French, those on the left, those on the right, and those in the centre."
Dominique Marie Francois Rene Galouzeau de Villepin, 58, has not traditionally been seen as a politician with the popular touch in France.Dominique Marie Francois Rene Galouzeau de Villepin, 58, has not traditionally been seen as a politician with the popular touch in France.
A protege of Mr Sarkozy's predecessor as president, Jacques Chirac, he is perceived by some as arrogant, by others urbane.A protege of Mr Sarkozy's predecessor as president, Jacques Chirac, he is perceived by some as arrogant, by others urbane.
As foreign minister in February 2003, he opposed the invasion of Iraq at the United Nations.As foreign minister in February 2003, he opposed the invasion of Iraq at the United Nations.
As prime minister between May 2005 and May 2007, he saw his plans for labour reforms scrapped in the face of public protests and strikes.As prime minister between May 2005 and May 2007, he saw his plans for labour reforms scrapped in the face of public protests and strikes.
He had badly misread the public mood and isolated himself politically as he tried to justify the reforms.He had badly misread the public mood and isolated himself politically as he tried to justify the reforms.
He was later involved in a long and bitter legal battle centring on allegations that he had tried to smear Mr Sarkozy in the run-up to the 2007 presidential election through the Clearstream affair.He was later involved in a long and bitter legal battle centring on allegations that he had tried to smear Mr Sarkozy in the run-up to the 2007 presidential election through the Clearstream affair.
A French appeals court cleared him of complicity in September.A French appeals court cleared him of complicity in September.
One French tweeter, Aure Lianna, quipped on Sunday: "At least it's certain he's not standing in order to negotiate a ministerial post from... Nicolas Sarkozy."One French tweeter, Aure Lianna, quipped on Sunday: "At least it's certain he's not standing in order to negotiate a ministerial post from... Nicolas Sarkozy."
The new corruption case in which Mr de Villepin has been named relates to an embezzlement case against his friend Regis Bulot, former head of Relais & Chateaux, a French-based association of exclusive small hotels and gourmet restaurants.
"This case does not concern me," Mr de Villepin told TF1 on Sunday. "One may have a friend, friends, and not be implicated in their business dealings."