| deVillepin sez he's out, Jospin sez he's in. |
Lionel Jospin, the former French Socialist prime minister, has indicated he could stand in next year's presidential elections in a move observers say is aimed at preventing Ségolène Royal, the favourite, from winning the party nomination. "If it appears that I am the best placed to bring the country together, to assume the responsibilities of the state, to propose directions to the French people, then I would obviously ask myself the question [of whether to stand]," he said.
Mr Jospin's return to the forefront of politics comes after four years in the wilderness following his humiliating defeat to the far right's Jean-Marie Le Pen in the first round of the 2002 presidential election. Speaking on the main French evening news on Wednesday, Mr Jospin played down the rivalry with Ms Royal, whom he is known to dislike, paying tibute to her as one of "the multiple talents" of the Socialist party.
The latest polls shows Ms Royal has a substantial lead over her party rivals, the former prime minister Laurent Fabius, the former finance minister Dominique Strauss Kahn, the former education minister Jack Lang and the Socialist leader François Hollande, who is also Ms Royal's partner and the father of her four children. |