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French Divided on Villepin as Candidate
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - People in France are split on the possibility of former interior minister Dominique de Villepin running for president in 2012, according to a poll by Ifop published in Le Journal du Dimanche. 48 per cent of respondents would like de Villepin to run for office, while 51 per cent would not.
In May 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy, candidate for the centre-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and former interior minister, won the presidential run-off with 53.06 per cent of the vote. Sarkozy appointed François Fillon—who had been his adviser and presidential campaign leader—as prime minister.
De Villepin—a UMP member—served as France’s prime minister from May 2005 to May 2007 during the presidency of Jacques Chirac. Sarkozy and de Villepin have been political opponents for years.
Last year, de Villepin went on trial on charges of complicity to slander, use of forgeries, dealing in stolen property and breach of trust related to the Clearstream affair. The allegations date back to July 2004, when several French politicians were accused, by an anonymous source, of having received kickbacks from the 1991 sale of six frigates to Taiwan.
In April 2006, de Villepin issued a statement admitting he had authorized a series of investigations into corruption allegations related to Luxembourg-based financial firm Clearstream during his time as foreign minister. However, de Villepin denied having personally ordered a probe into the alleged involvement of then interior minister Sarkozy.
Last month, de Villepin was acquitted. However, on Jan. 29, the court’s decision was appealed, meaning that de Villepin will have to stand trial again. Reacting to the news, de Villepin accused Sarkozy of interfering with the justice system and said that the decision was made "in a meeting in the Elysée" presidential palace.
Polling Data
Would you like Dominique de Villepin to become a candidate in the 2012 presidential election?
|
Yes |
48% |
|
No |
51% |
|
Not sure |
1% |
Source: Ifop / Le Journal du Dimanche
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 931 French adults, conducted on Jan. 28 and Jan. 29, 2010. No margin of error was provided.
