Sarkozy stands for 'strong' France
Critics point to record jobless, economic crisis and budget deficit as president trails Hollande in polls
A SIMPLE "Yes, I am a candidate in the presidential election" ended months of phoney war as Nicolas Sarkozy finally joined the 2012 campaign.
Saying it was his "duty" to continue during a period of economic crisis, he told TF1 journalist Laurence Ferrari not to do so would be like "deserting his post".
He now has 66 days to convince the electorate he is the candidate with "strong" and "sensible" ideas despite record unemployment, the economic crisis and - tied up with it - France's budget deficit, which has seen it lose his cherished AAA status with ratings agency Standards & Poor's.
Not forgetting the fact he is trailing Socialist rival François Hollande in opinion polls - by up to 15% points for the second round run-off - or the fact that only 35% of French people say they have confidence in him.
He focused on unemployment and said retraining would be the way to get people back to work - and said the way to do it was by linking it to benefits. "When one receives unemployment benefit, it will be because one is taking part in job training," he said.
Critics immediately pointed out that "full employment" was a key campaign promise in 2007 and the number of jobless now numbered 2.87 million, 10% of the working population.
Sarkozy said that the "unprecedented crisis" had stopped him fulfilling his promise and said, alluding to the workers at the Lejaby lingerie plant he helped save from closure, said "One is not on the scrapheap at 57 [his own age]. One has other things to do than staying at home and waiting for retirement, depressed and feeling useless."
His Foreign Minister, Alain Juppé, greeted the announcement of his candidature saying on France Info: "Now, we will have a real debate and see the Socialist candidate's weaknesses."
However, Hollande, speaking to a rally of thousands in Rouen, Normandy, where he was born said Sarkozy had spent his time in office nurturing the wealthy instead of feeding the needy. And, reflecting Sarkozy's promise of a "strong" France he said "France will only be strong if it is fair."
