France: President Sarkozy officially declares re-election bid

After weeks of suspense, French President Nicolas Sarkozy officially declared his bid for re-election on Wednesday, saying he wanted to “give French people a voice” and highlighted jobs and the economy as two of his main campaign priorities.

Sarkozy has teased the French public with his reluctance to declare his bid for re-election ahead of the country’s first round of voting on April 22, causing widespread speculation as to when and where he would finally do it. Wednesday’s announcement on French television TF1’s evening news means that the centre-right president has formally entered the race against rival Socialist Party (PS) candidate François Hollande.

“Now the real campaign starts”, French Foreign Minister and Sarkozy ally Alain Juppé told French radio station France Info earlier on Wednesday. “We will have a real debate and see the weaknesses of the Socialist candidate”.

It looks as though the incumbent’s fortunes are possibly changing. According to a February 13th study by French polling centre IPSOS, Sarkozy’s popularity has inched upwards by two points, while Hollande’s has ebbed by four, narrowing the gap between the two candidates.

Sarkozy is expected to reveal his manifesto in France’s port city of Marseille on Sunday.

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