Jacques Chirac is keeping France guessing about his intention of running again for the presidency.

He may yet surprise voters — and his Union for a Popular Movement party — by deciding to stand for a third term in the Elysée Palace.

However, Nicolas Sarkozy, the UMP leader, is due to be anointed as its candidate on January 14 after two weeks of voting. As the only contender, he is certain of backing from the 336,000 members.

The spectre of another campaign by the 74-year-old President emerged from a vigorous new year’s address, in which he barely mentioned the elections and made no reference to Mr Sarkozy, 51, his subordinate and rival.

Mr Chirac promised a new law to protect the homeless, proclaimed his “passionate love” for France and reminded citizens that they were to vote for a person, not a party. He said nothing of his own plans.

Most insiders still view as implausible another campaign for the presidency that Mr Chirac won in 1995 on his third attempt. But some believe that, despite a rocky record and low ratings, he badly wants to try.

After Mr Chirac’s Sunday address, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the far-right leader who came second in 2002, predicted that the President would seek
re-election. “If he is a candidate, he will obviously eliminate Nicolas Sarkozy, but also Ségolène Royal [the Socialist],” said Mr Le Pen, who is running again. He was trying to make trouble, but proved his forecasting skill when he predicted three years ago that Ms Royal would lead the Socialists in 2007. The idea was deemed ridiculous at the time.

Mr Chirac’s refusal to confirm that he will retire in May has clouded Mr Sarkozy’s campaign against Ms Royal, 53. The President has promised to state his intentions before April. This puts the government camp in the bizarre position of endorsing its candidate without knowing if their figurehead wants to keep the job.

Mr Chirac’s allies, such as Alain Juppé and Jean-Pierre Raffarin, both former prime ministers, have come out behind Mr Sarkozy. Their backing, albeit unenthusiastic, has been read as confirmation that “the old man” will stand aside.

His hesitation is seen as a tactical attempt to undermine Mr Sarkozy, with whom he has been in dispute for a decade. Mr Chirac is enraged by Mr Sarkozy’s abandonment of the “social” side of Gaullism in favour of a robust, American-sounding approach to reform.The Interior Minister has effectively disowned Mr Chirac and the Government in which he has served by campaigning for a “clean break” with the past.

Bernadette Chirac says that her husband remains undecided. Some experts believe that Mr Chirac, who excels at snatching electoral victory from the jaws of defeat, has rediscovered his lust for the campaign. Yves Michaud, a philosopher who has published a study of Mr Chirac, said yesterday that the new year address indicated that the President was campaigning.

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