French PM Villepin Backs Rival Sarkozy - washingtonpost.com

re: "PARIS -- French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin endorsed the presidential bid of fellow conservative but longtime rival Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday, a day after Jacques Chirac announced he would not seek a third term... [snip]...The first of two rounds of voting is scheduled for April 22. In his address, Chirac said he would let the nation know within days whom he might back. /Chirac's blessing is important for Sarkozy as the margins narrow between him and Socialist rival Segolene Royal and a surprise third candidate, centrist leader Francois Bayrou..."...