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'Hollande is so completely useless I may be forced to stand again', says Sarkozy
- Former French president: I may have a moral duty to stand again
- Says Socialists are ruining the country after just a year in office
- Comments open door for a potential political comeback in 2017
By Ian Sparks
PUBLISHED:11:10 EST, 7 May 2013| UPDATED:01:48 EST, 8 May 2013
Nicolas Sarkozy says he may be forced to stand again as president of France against his wishes because Francois Hollande is ‘completely useless’.
The ex-leader, who was ousted by the Socialists a year ago, said President Hollande had displayed a ‘total lack of leadership and his government was ‘collapsing'.
Sarkozy’s scathing assessment of the left-wing administration was reported in French daily Le Parisien.
Comeback: Nicolas Sarkozy, with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, says he may have no choice but to stand for re-election
He said: 'The socialist government is falling apart. I am extremely worried. I am also deeply concerned for the 1,500 extra people who lose their jobs every day.
'Francois Hollande is completely useless and has no authority. Our society is very fragile and one more straw could collapse it. I could be obliged to make a comeback.'
His comments come only two months after he hinted at standing for re-election in 2017 because the socialists were ‘ruining France’.
Dissatisfaction with President Hollande’s government saw tens of thousands take to Paris streets earlier this week on the first anniversary of his election.
Sarkozy said in March: 'Looking at the disastrous state France risks finding itself in in five years time, I will have no choice in 2017.
'The question is not knowing whether I’m going to make a come-back, but if morally I have the choice regarding France to not come back.
'Morally, I can not let the French people down.'
Under fire: Francois Hollande (left) with his Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault (right) is the most unpopular French president in history
He and wife Carla Bruni have barely been seen in public since he was defeated by socialist Francois Hollande in May’s presidential election.
Sarkozy is now facing corruption charges over illegal campaign funding.
He is accused of accepting illegal party funding payments from France’s richest woman and L’Oreal heiress Lilian Bettencourt in return for tax breaks.
Police raided their Paris home in July seeking evidence of corruption.
He has dismissed the allegations as ‘rubbish’ and after losing the election, he and Bruni enjoyed almost eight weeks of uninterrupted holidays before making a return to public life.
FRESH BLOW FOR FRENCH ECONOMY
French industrial output fell by a worse-than-expected 0.9 percent in March due to lower production in the farm and transport sectors and a sharp drop in refining activity, data showed on Tuesday.
The monthly fall, in part an adjustment from a 0.8 percent rebound in February driven by the restarting of a refinery, was worse than the 0.3 percent dip predicted by economists in a Reuters poll.
Output over the first quarter in the moribund industrial sector -- which makes up about 12 per cent of France’s economy -- was down 0.4 percent compared with the previous quarter.
President Francois Hollande is struggling, a year into his term, to fulfill a campaign pledge to pull the industrial sector out of a long slump that is driving a steady stream of layoffs. His government said this week that measures taken so far to boost competitiveness would take time to bear fruit.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2320793/Hollande-completely-useless-I-forced-stand-says-Sarkozy.html#ixzz2Sjx1B1J2
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