Nicolas Hulot aims to unseat Sarkozy in 2012

As Correspondent John Linchfield writes in today’s Independent , French television star Nicolas Hulot has jumped into the race for the French Presidency in 2012.

Hulot, who is a popular environmentalist and is well known as an adventurer on French television since the 1980s, is yet another threat to President Sarkozy’s chance of winning a second term. While Linchfield doesn’t believe Hulot can win, he writes that:

“The presenter could attract votes in the multi-candidate first round of the presidential election from across the political spectrum. His chances of reaching the two-candidate second round are slender, but a strong run by Mr Hulot could splinter the "mainstream" vote and push either Mr Sarkozy or the Socialist candidate, as yet unknown, out of the run-off in early May 2012.”

Splintering the vote and pushing Mr. Sarkozy off the ballot would also open the door further for far right candidate Marine Le Pen, who currently is polling neck and neck with Mr. Sarkozy. Le Pen is the daughter of radical French politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, who reached the final runoff in the 2002 election against President Jacques Chirac. Sarkozy’s environment minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, has also contemplated a run.

With the number of people jumping into the race and the problems it faces for Mr. Sarkozy, it is clear that this election could have a far-reaching impact on French politics.

Picture: French football fans