Sarkozy's son seeks to break into politics

The son of French President Nicolas Sarkozy took a first step towards a political career on Wednesday, announcing he would seek a local council seat in his father's former fiefdom.

Jean Sarkozy, son of France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, attends an official statement at the UMP headquarters in Paris February 12, 2008. (REUTERS/Charles Platiau/Files)

Jean Sarkozy, 21, told the Le Figaro newspaper's Web site he would seek endorsement of the conservative Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) to be councillor in Neuilly-Sud in the chic suburb which was his father's power base as mayor.

"The moment has arrived for me to put myself at the service of a town ... for which I have a deep and sincere attachment. I wanted to fight for myself and for others. I have things to prove," Jean Sarkozy, a law student, said.

Sarkozy himself used the same suburb as a springboard to the Elysee Palace, rising to become mayor of Neuilly which is one of the most opulent areas of France.

Despite his youth, Jean Sarkozy, the president's son by his first marriage to Marie-Dominique Culioli, showed ruthless political instincts earlier this month in an electoral fiasco there.

Sarkozy had anointed David Martinon, his spokesman, for the plum job of mayor which he himself held for 19 years.

But when Martinon failed to impress the powerful, well-heeled electorate of the town, Jean Sarkozy took the initiative with two senior UMP councillors and publicly deserted his campaign, pulling the rug out from under him.

Martinon subsequently withdrew from the race.

Jean Sarkozy defended his action on Le Figaro Web site.

"I never betrayed anyone. I warned the candidate (Martinon) about the problems we were encountering. I did it in the frankest way possible," he said.

Asked what advice his father had given him, he said: "He told me to be myself and assume responsibilities."

Last December he appeared in a Paris court on a charge of damaging a car with his scooter in October 2005 on the Place de la Concorde square in central Paris.

Jean Sarkozy said he had nothing to reproach himself for. The court ruled that the case would be examined in June.