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Looks like Sarkozy is pulling an Al Gore of sorts...
Source: BBC News
BBC NEWS | Europe | Sarkozy signals break with Chirac
Sarkozy signals break with Chirac
French centre-right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy, the frontrunner to succeed Jacques Chirac as president, has distanced himself from the Chirac era.
He was speaking just hours after President Chirac confirmed in a TV address that he would not be seeking re-election in April.
Mr Sarkozy said he had "never felt like anybody's heir".
"France is the republic, it is not something you inherit," he told French radio on Monday.
But he also praised Mr Chirac for a "dignified, sincere" speech.
Chirac under fire
Some of Mr Sarkozy's rivals in the presidential race made sharp criticisms of Mr Chirac's record during his 12 years as president.
Far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen said Mr Chirac had left France in a "catastrophic" state.
"I think Jacques Chirac was the worst president of the republic in the history of France. With him I lose my worst enemy and I'm delighted," he said.
Socialist candidate Segolene Royal, currently second in the opinion polls behind Mr Sarkozy, called for a "new page in history" after the Chirac era.
Anti-globalisation campaigner and presidential hopeful Jose Bove dismissed Mr Chirac's record as "disastrous" and called for "a real alternative on the left that will end people's suffering and inequalities".
Centrist candidate Francois Bayrou, who has emerged as a strong contender in opinion polls, praised Mr Chirac's speech, saying it "embodied the main thread of what we should be pursuing in France".
An opinion poll published by the LH2 organisation on Monday put Mr Sarkozy on 28% in the first round, against 26% for Ms Royal and 22% for Mr Bayrou. But it also found that Mr Bayrou could beat Mr Sarkozy if he got through to the second round.
French centre-right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy, the frontrunner to succeed Jacques Chirac as president, has distanced himself from the Chirac era.
He was speaking just hours after President Chirac confirmed in a TV address that he would not be seeking re-election in April.
Mr Sarkozy said he had "never felt like anybody's heir".
"France is the republic, it is not something you inherit," he told French radio on Monday.
But he also praised Mr Chirac for a "dignified, sincere" speech.
Chirac under fire
Some of Mr Sarkozy's rivals in the presidential race made sharp criticisms of Mr Chirac's record during his 12 years as president.
Far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen said Mr Chirac had left France in a "catastrophic" state.
"I think Jacques Chirac was the worst president of the republic in the history of France. With him I lose my worst enemy and I'm delighted," he said.
Socialist candidate Segolene Royal, currently second in the opinion polls behind Mr Sarkozy, called for a "new page in history" after the Chirac era.
Anti-globalisation campaigner and presidential hopeful Jose Bove dismissed Mr Chirac's record as "disastrous" and called for "a real alternative on the left that will end people's suffering and inequalities".
Centrist candidate Francois Bayrou, who has emerged as a strong contender in opinion polls, praised Mr Chirac's speech, saying it "embodied the main thread of what we should be pursuing in France".
An opinion poll published by the LH2 organisation on Monday put Mr Sarkozy on 28% in the first round, against 26% for Ms Royal and 22% for Mr Bayrou. But it also found that Mr Bayrou could beat Mr Sarkozy if he got through to the second round.
BBC NEWS | Europe | Sarkozy signals break with Chirac