Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin the 58 year old French former Prime Minister and career diplomat regarded as a Jacques Chirac’s protégé, has announced his intention to run in the 2012 French presidential election. de Villepin will be up against the current President Nicolas Sarkozy, a bitter rival following his acquittal by a French appeals court where de Villepin had been accused of smearing Sarkozy. In making his announcement de Villepin expressed his concern with “France humiliated by the law of the markets which imposes more and austerity … I have confidence in the ability of the French people to discern what is in the public interest and to what point, more than ever, national unity is required of us all. I believe one needs more courage than that.” de Villepin is a former member of Sarkozy’s UMP party, resigning to publish his own political manifesto.

 

Inspired by France24 http://ow.ly/82L3O image source Marie-Lan Nguyen http://ow.ly/82KXw