A contrite Nicolas Sarkozy has leaped to the top of the French best-sellers’ list with a book published this week which seeks to revive his fading hopes of returning to the Elysée Palace next year, The Independent said.

The book – La France pour la vie [France for Life] – contains rare apologies for mistakes and boorish behaviour when he was President from 2007-12 and insists that he is now a more “experienced” and “serene” man.

Despite the surge of advance sales for his book, Sarkozy’s chances of becoming the first man to reclaim the French presidency appear to be eroding rapidly.

Opinion polls suggest he has fallen far behind the former Prime Minister, Alain Juppé, in early running for the centre-right presidential primary election, which is held in November. In another poll last week, only 23 per cent of those questioned said they wanted Sarkozy, 60, to be a candidate in the presidential election in April and May next year.

The former President also has serious legal problems. He faces a critical hearing in France’s highest appeal court as he attempts to avoid trial on accusations of “corruption” and “influence peddling”.

Two of Sarkozy’s closest allies were formally accused of corruption and making false financial declarations last week. Officially, Sarkozy has yet to say whether he will make another run for the Elysée. He said this weekend that his book is neither a “mea culpa” nor an official “declaration” of his candidature.

Source: MENA