French president endorses longtime rival

President Jacques Chirac endorsed the presidential bid of Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday despite their long rivalry, giving his fellow conservative a boost in a close and volatile campaign.

Chirac said it was "natural" that he would offer Sarkozy his vote and his backing. The president, in a terse televised speech, also announced that Sarkozy would quit as interior minister on Monday.

The first round of voting is April 22 and will be likely followed by a runoff May 6. Sarkozy has based his campaign on breaking from the past and reforming the stagnant economy.

Chirac's move was significant because he held off on endorsing Sarkozy until just a month before the race. Chirac, 74, and facing low approval ratings, announced only this month that he would not seek re-election.

Both men come from the same political party, the Union for a Popular Movement, or UMP. But they have had tense relations since Sarkozy infuriated Chirac by backing his rival, Edouard Balladur, in 1995 presidential elections that Chirac went on to win.

Years in the political wilderness followed for Sarkozy before Chirac brought him back into the government in 2002.

Chirac's endorsement of Sarkozy spoke more of reason than warmth.

"The UMP chose to support the candidacy of Nicolas Sarkozy in the presidential election because of his qualities," Chirac said. "Therefore, I naturally give him my vote and my support."

Sarkozy said he was "very touched" by Chirac's support.

"It is important for me politically and also personally," Sarkozy said in a statement.

Chirac's backing and Sarkozy's long-anticipated decision to quit the government carry both benefits and risks.

Leaving the ministry promises to deflate vociferous criticism from Sarkozy's opponents that he was using his powerful position as a pulpit from which to campaign.

Because the ministry organizes French elections, critics also claimed Sarkozy had a conflict of interest and that he blurred the lines between his candidacy and his ministerial prerogatives.

But the ministry, which oversees the police and domestic intelligence agencies, also provided Sarkozy with a platform to prove his effectiveness on issues central to his campaign, particularly immigration and security. His tough stance on those matters drew much criticism during his tenure, but boosted his support on the right.

In declaring his support, Chirac hailed Sarkozy's "work, his commitment and his results" at the Interior Ministry.

Sarkozy has sought not to come across as the president's political heir to avoid being associated with Chirac's policy failures and often dismal approval ratings in his 12 years at the presidential Elysee Palace.

But Chirac still carries weight as outgoing head of state and his refusal to endorse Sarkozy would have been a blow for the candidate.

Sarkozy said Chirac's support was of "primary political significance" because he "knows better than anybody the demands of the job" as president.

An Ipsos poll released Wednesday said Sarkozy is the leading candidate, with 52 percent of the second-round vote. Socialist Segolene Royal is in second place, with 48 percent. The margin of error would be 3 or 4 percentage points in a poll of this size.