Nepotism row

Jean Sarkozy, a second year law student, will no longer seek to run the public agency overseeing development in the La Defense district - home to France's biggest firms - after critics from both major political parties said he was being given special treatment.

The French newspaper, Le Monde, called his attempt to win the job the "act of a monarch," and thousands of people signed an online petition calling on him to withdraw his application.

"Finish your law studies, gain experience in business and one day, perhaps, you can re-apply for a position once held by your father," said the petition launched by the centrist Democratic Movement.

President Nicolas Sarkozy had supported his son in his bid for the post, but members of his conservative party were not so quick to jump to Jean's defense, apparently feeling wary of how voters might perceive them.

As Jean Sarkozy announced his decision on primetime television, he lashed out at his opponents, saying that they had waged a campaign of "manipulation and disinformation" against him.

"I would not want any victory to be overshadowed by suspicion. I won't accept being suspected of favoritism," he said.

Asked if he had talked to President Sarkozy before deciding to retract his bid, Jean said, "Did I talk to the president? No. Did I talk to my father? Yes. He is like all fathers and I am like all sons. It is natural that at difficult times, we speak with each other."

However, Jean Sarkozy, dubbed - "Prince Jean" by the press - said he still hopes to be elected to the agency's board. He is already on the town council of Neuilly, the rich Paris suburb where his father also launched his career 30 years ago.

"I am not deaf. I am not blind. I have made a decision. I am not at all bitter. I have learnt a lot," he said. "I have a vocation for politics, a passion for politics."

vj/AFP/Reuters
Editor: Chuck Penfold