Sarkozy accused of "xenophobia"

French presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy was accused by his rivals of xenophobia over his ministry for national identity idea.

Izvor: Reuters

Saturday, 10.03.2007.

10:56

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Sarkozy accused of "xenophobia"

Sarkozy, who is the interior minister for the ruling centre-right UMP party, sparked the row by proposing to create the new ministry if he is elected as part of his plan to streamline the government.

"I want a ministry of national immigration and national identity because today, the immigration portfolio is split between three different ministries," he said on Thursday.

Sarkozy has made a tough line on immigration a feature of his campaign in what has been seen as an effort to pick off votes from far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen, who stunned France in the 2002 presidential election by finishing second.

Sarkozy is just ahead of Socialist Segolene Royal in opinion polls, but a poll this week showed that centrist Francois Bayrou was snapping at their heels.

Sarkozy has responded to the emergence of Bayrou by softening his stance to woo the centrist vote but critics said his latest comments on immigration were a clear play to pick up support from the far right.

Socialist party leader Francois Hollande said the comments were a "serious flirt" with the theories of Le Pen's National Front party while Communist candidate Marie-George Buffet said the idea was "xenophobic".

Le Pen runs on a platform of hardline immigration policies but he says he is struggling to collect the 500 mayoral signatures needed to run in the election.

Sarkozy has come to his aid, promising to fight to make sure that Le Pen is allowed to participate.

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