Président Sarkozy

France's interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, has boosted his chances of becoming the next president by reforming the way the centre-Right chooses its election candidate.

Mr Sarkozy regularly falls out with the prime minister, the former career diplomat Dominique de Villepin, on issues from immigration to labour law.

Now the two are battling it out to represent the ruling UMP if, as predicted, President Jacques Chirac fails to seek a third term in 2007.

The UMP's national leadership has backed Mr Sarkozy's proposal that the party's members should be allowed to declare their preferred candidate for the Elyseé.

Mr Sarkozy was overwhelmingly chosen as president last year and has doubled membership since.

This domination of the party machine makes his victory in such a "primary" a foregone conclusion.

Devo dizer que a minha primeira impressão de Sarkozy não foi das melhores. Todavia, depois de conhecer melhor o seu perfil, as suas ideias para a França e para a Europa, e a maneira como lidou com os acontecimentos em Paris, a minha opinião sobre o político que mais hipóteses tem de ser eleito o próximo presidente da França mudou bastante, e mudou positivamente.