Europe Decides

The “third man” is in dire straits. François Bayrou, who before the first round of the presidential election was courted by both left and right, became a pariah after Sunday’s coronation of Sarkozy by the French.

Although he theoretically wields significant political power with his 18.5% of the vote, he has to prepare for the general elections due in June. And this is where it hurts: 22 out of the 27 MPs the UDF has at the Assemblée nationale have chosen to rally Sarkozy. They wish to be re-elected, and the only way to do so in the current situation is to please Sarkozy so that he does not push for a UMP candidate in their constituency – in the past this ensured them election as they gathered all votes from the right. Another right-wing candidate would split the vote and eliminate them.

Bayrou is due to announce today the creation of his brand new center party, the Mouvement Democrate (MD) with a little help from his 7 friends left. We’ll know more after his press conference this afternoon, but the MD’s prospects at the general elections look very pale.

Is this yet another sign of the clear “great divide” of French politics? Once again the centrists’ dream to create a genuine, powerful center party looks doomed.