Jospin withdraws from French presidential race

Former Socialist French prime minister Lionel Jospin withdrew from the race for the 2007 presidential election on Thursday, in good news for the party's front-runner Segolene Royal.
Jospin, 69, stirred up his party when he made a tearful comeback this summer after four years of political retirement, indicating he could compete for the party's presidential candidacy against Royal and a row of male contenders. "I can confirm, it's 'No'," Jospin told RTL radio, saying he had not been able to rally the party behind him.
"I don't regret it. I have taken the wisest decision," the former economics professor said. "I have always said that, having been a solution for the Socialist party (in the past), I will not become a problem for the Socialist party."
Jospin had retired from political life following a humiliating defeat in the 2002 presidential election, when far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen forced him out of the run-off against conservative Jacques Chirac.
Socialist critics had said Jospin never tried to understand his 2002 defeat and would be a liability rather than an asset. Royal is heading voter opinion polls to lead the Socialist party into next year's race, but it is up to the party's some 200,000 members to elect their candidate in November.
Jospin avoided openly attacking Royal in past weeks, but he signalled he did not agree with her questioning of the 35-hour work week and her tough proposals on law-and-order, implying she had moved too far from the traditional Socialist agenda.
Royal's aides welcomed Jospin's withdrawal, which reduced the number of her likely male competitors to three or four.
"In this country, everything...points to a deep longing for a change of eras and political personnel," her spokesman Gilles Savary said, calling on Jospin to support the 53-year old Royal.
The remaining rivals must declare their candidature between this Saturday and Tuesday. Royal has signalled she will run, although she has not yet officially said so.
Former prime minister Laurent Fabius is set to also declare his candidature, hoping to convince members with a left-wing policy platform including a promise of an immediate hike in the minimum wage of elected. Some 54 percent of Socialist voters want Royal to become their party's candidate, according to a recent Ipsos poll.
Around 21 percent supported Jospin, 11 percent preferred former finance minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn, 7 percent liked former culture minister Jack Lang, some 4 percent opted for party leader Francois Hollande and 3 percent for Fabius.
But pollsters note that Socialist members are not necessarily set to have the same preferences as voters, with long-held party affiliations playing an important role.
Royal, regional leader of the western Poitou-Charentes region, is treated as a relative newcomer compared to her competitors, and has sparked some party anger with tough proposals on how to cut youth crime.
Royal's battle for party support could become even more complicated if her long term partner, party leader Hollande, decided to run in the internal battle as well.
Hollande, who has four children with Royal, has not ruled out running, saying he is "at the party's service".