Former President Sarkozy says he is not far rightist

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who is a candidate for the primary of Les Republicains, has defended his conveying of ideas which some consider close to those of the far right National Front.

Nicolas Sarkozy is a candidate in the primary of the right and centre parties for the 2017 presidential election. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

With just one week to go before the primary of the right and the centre parties, Sarkozy said in an interview to Le Parisien/Today he believes in his chances of being nominated for the Elysee.

“I do not accept that I am far-rightist. There is no basis for that when we see that I am attacked morning, afternoon and evening by (the President of National Front) Marine Le Pen. I am her priority target,” he said.

“I do not see, for example, how the reintroduction of overtime that I propose is a far right idea. When I say that I do not want burkini on beaches of France, it is not to be a rightist, it is to defend gender equality,” he added.

According to an Odoxa poll published on Friday, former prime minister Alain Juppé has always been in the race lead for the primary of the right and centre but his gap with Sarkozy has narrowed.

“If people do not want me to come back, they will say so,” Sarkozy said.
Asked about his differences with the president of the MoDem, François Bayrou who supports Juppé, Sarkozy said that if the centrist leader faced the candidate from the National Front in the second of the presidential elections, he would vote for him.

"Decidedly ... we do not have the same morality, he and I," he said referring to Bayrou.

A part of the right holds a grudge against Bayrou for supporting François Hollande in the second round of the 2012 presidential election. Bayrou is regularly targeted by Sarkozy and his supporters, who hope to weaken Alain Juppé.