Sarkozy is a brash rightwinger and a divisive figure in French politics, while the experienced Juppe, the current mayor of Bordeaux, has styled himself as a unifying force. "If you want to become French, you speak French, you live like the French. For Fourquet "the ideological centre of gravity of the right is closer to Nicolas Sarkozy's positions than those of Alain Juppe." But Sarkozy is also hobbled by his legacy, seen as underwhelming economically, and is disliked by a majority of French people. Fourquet predicted a possible bid by leftist and centrist voters to block Sarkozy's return by voting for Juppe in the primary.

Source: Bangkok Post September 21, 2016 11:37 UTC