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Sarkozy's arch-enemy Villepin outlines his political manifesto
Dominique de Villepin – a vocal critic of Nicolas Sarkozy on
traditional right – is considering run for president in 2012

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Angelique Chrisafis in Paris
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 14 April 2011 20.39 BST
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Dominique de Villepin, right, quit the UMP last year so he could stand
against his arch rival Nicolas Sarkozy for president in 2012.
Photograph: Patrick Kovarik/AFP
Dominique de Villepin, the former French prime minister, moved closer
to the ultimate standoff with his arch-enemy Nicolas Sarkozy on
Thursday as he presented a programme for running for president next
year.

Villepin, who Sarkozy once said he would like to hang from a butcher's
hook, recently quit Sarkozy's ruling rightwing UMP party, setting up
his own political grouping, République Solidaire, and considering
challenging Sarkozy's bid for presidential re-election in 2012.

A Gaullist, Villepin has become the most vocal critic of Sarkozy on
the traditional right. He has called him "a problem for France" and
slammed his policy to round up Roma migrants as "a stain on the French
flag".

Although Villepin has only a small army of activists – his movement
claims 25,000 members – if he stands in the election he could split
the traditional rightwing vote. This would cause headaches for Sarkozy
whose party, the UMP, is falling apart, torn between centrists and
rightwingers who can't agree over the president's extremist line on
immigration, crime and Islam.

Villepin, a former protege of Jacques Chirac who became famous for
arguing France's case at the United Nations against the 2003 invasion
of Iraq, said it was too early to announce whether or not he would run
for president.

But the 57-year-old part-time poet and historian laid out his
proposals, including a "citizen's income" welfare benefit of €850 a
month for people with no other earnings. He said he offered a
"credible alternative" to Sarkozy.

The political rivalry between Sarkozy and Villepin is legendary. It
culminated in the Clearstream trial last year in which Villepin was
cleared of falsely smearing Sarkozy over alleged acts of money
laundering. A retrial is due to begin next month, and Villepin may be
waiting for that to close before he makes a final announcement on
whether or not to run.

Sarkozy is at his lowest-ever approval ratings, around 29% according
to a Le Point poll. The only other French president to have ever
stooped lower was Chirac, at the height of his unpopularity following
the EU constitution referendum of 2005. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the
favourite for the primaries for a Socialist candidate, stands at 52%
approval ratings, with the far-right's Marine Le Pen at 28%.

Sarkozy, who has yet to officially announce he will stand for re-
election, is under severe pressure, not just from the Front National,
but within the UMP camp, a broad coalition of centrists and
rightwingers which is fast disintegrating.

The former environment minister and centrist Jean-Louis Borloo also
recently quit the party to prepare for his own bid for the presidency.

Addressing his own concerned MPs, Sarkozy insisted this week that he
had a "good feeling" about next year's election.