Minister's split could redraw right

FORMER minister Jean-Louis Borloo has announced his Parti Radical is leaving the UMP.

The Parti Radical was one of the founding groups of the UMP, Union pour un Mouvement Populaire which was formed from centre-right and right groups in 2002.

Borloo, formerly Environment Minister until November 2010, announced on France 2 last night that his party would be forming a new alliance with other centrist groups, including the Nouveau Centre which is also currently allied with the UMP.

He said he wanted to create a social and humanitarian majority.

While Borloo, who celebrated his 60th birthday yesterday, said the party would compete in the presidential elections of 2012 he did not stipulate whether he would be running but said he was "ready".

Borloo, occasionally likened to US detective Columbo for his disheveled appearance, is generally popular among the French electorate.

Former sports minister Rama Yade announced she was quitting the UMP to join Borloo this morning.

Depending on future negotiations, Borloo's decision could have enormous implications for France's political landscape.

As one blog on lepost.fr notes, a split among right-wing political groups in 1988 helped the election of France's only post-war Socialist president, François Mitterrand.

UMP secretary general Jean-François Copé said he regretted Borloo's departure but added: "You're not going to get me to say anything bad about him. On a personal level, I have a lot of esteem for him, he was a good minister."

Photo: Medef by MEDEF Jean-Louis Aubert