Sarkozy ready to ride to France’s rescue

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy has told a French magazine he would return to politics, “out of duty”, if things become so bad in France that he has “no choice”, but that otherwise he has no desire to run for the presidency again.

Reuters

Sarkozy has not said a word in public since his defeat in May last year, but in an interview to be published tomorrow in French right-wing magazine Valeurs Actuelles, he breaks his silence after months of speculation about his future.

“Unfortunately there will be a time when the question is no longer: Do you want [to return] but Do you have the choice?” Sarkozy predicts, before continuing “in such a situation, I could no longer continue to say to myself: ‘I am happy, I take by daughter to school, and I do conferences all over the world. In such a situation, I would indeed be obliged to run. Not because I want to. Out of duty. Solely for the sake of France.”

Sarkozy declares that the idea of returning to the political world fills him with “deadly boredom”.

“And look how I was treated”, he goes on “When I was summoned for 13 hours of questioning in connection with the Bettencourt affair” [a probe into allegations that France’s richest woman made secret donations to Sarkozy’s election campaign]. Sarkozy even complains that his wife, Carla Bruni was unable to pursue her singing career while he was president.

Asked if he wanted revenge, Sarkozy replies that revenge is a “very bad emotion”. He goes on to demand “Anyway what kind of revenge would it be?” To take over the running of France in the state it will be in after a Socialist government. Do you think I don’t know that one day I’ll be dead? So, frankly do I want to return to power? No.”