Blue Bayrou?

François Bayrou's attempts to carve out territory in the centre-ground of French politics are stuttering. A former MEP himself, in 2004 Bayrou took the 11 UDF MEPs out of the centre-right EPP-ED group to join the Liberals forming the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. Six of the 11 MEPs are standing in the national assembly elections on 10 and 17 June, including Bayrou's campaign manager Marielle de Sarnez and Jean-Marie Cavada, chairman of the civil liberties committee. Many of the UDF's 29 natio-nal MPs have already thrown their lot in with Sarkozy's UMP. Of the six MEPs standing, only Cavada, de Sarnez and Thierry Cornillet are thought to have a chance of getting elected.