Sarkozy Returns to Politics

Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French President, announced Friday his comeback to politics.

Sarkozy posted on his Facebook page that he would return to public life and would seek the leadership of the opposition UMP party.

Sarkozy wrote that after a long period of reflection, he had decided to offer the French people a new political choice, as he could not remain an onlooker to the present situation in France.

"I have decided to propose a new political choice to the French."

"I love France too much. I am too passionate about public debate and the future of my compatriots to see them condemned to choose between the desperate spectacle of today and the prospect of dead-end isolation," Sarkozy wrote, reports the Associated Press.

Sarkozy's post is an obvious reference to President Francois Holland's weak presidency and the rising popularity of Front National leader, Marine Le Pen.

Sarkozy said that he had plenty of time to reflect on the years of his term in office and to learn lessons. He realized the vanity of some feelings and had also disregarded feelings of revenge and conflict, Sarkozy wrote, reports The Guardian.

Though Sarkozy kept a low profile after leaving office, he faced a number of legal investigations.  Auditors did not accept his 2013 campaign accounts and asked him to repay $466,535 However, UMP party members raised the money through a donation campaign.

A Judicial investigation was launched last year against Sarkozy over allegations that he took 50 million euros in illegal campaign funds from the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

He was also detained for questioning by the police in July over allegations of abuse of power.

French political analysts had said that Sarkozy would make his return official in three stages; a post in Facebook followed by writing articles in the press, and lastly a television appearance, reports The Guardian.

Reacting to Sarkozy's announcement, Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice and a close friend of Sarkozy, tweeted: "Nicolas Sarkozy has chosen duty. By his side let us give new hope for France."

But François de Rugy, head of the Ecology Party in the National Assemblée, wrote: "Nicolas Sarkozy is not returning to save France ... he ruined it. He's not returning to save the UMP ... he ruined it. If he is reinventing himself as the head of the UMP would it be to save his legal skin?"