Sarkozy to announce re-election bid

With only 10 weeks before the first round of France's presidential vote on 22 April, right-wing Sarkozy is lagging in the polls, struggling with image problems and burdened with a moribund economy.

But his team is confident that once officially in the race Sarkozy, a seasoned and charismatic campaigner, will be able to quickly make up ground on frontrunner Francois Hollande.

Right-wing newspaper Le Figaro, often used for semi-official statements from the president's camp, wrote on Monday that Sarkozy will officially announce his candidacy by Thursday.

Quoting anonymous members of his campaign team, it said Sarkozy will hold his first campaign rally on Sunday in the southern port city of Marseille.

Sarkozy has been laying the groundwork for his run in the last several weeks - portraying himself as a defender of traditional values and a steady hand in dealing with the European economic crisis.

In an interview with Le Figaro last week, he made clear he will be pushing a conservative social agenda, vowing to oppose gay marriage and euthanasia and to restrict immigration.

In recent weeks he has also moved to shore up his reformist economic credentials, increasing the sales tax to reduce payroll charges and introducing a 0.1% tax on financial transactions.

But his efforts so far have not translated into a boost in opinion polls.

The most recent poll by firm OpinionWay found Hollande leading with 29.5% support and Sarkozy trailing with 25.5% in the first round.

As well as from the left, Sarkozy is facing a challenge from far-right candidate Marine Le Pen of the National Front, who is polling between 16% and 20% and hopes to knock him out in the first round.

Le Figaro said that a small campaign team was already in place and that shortly after his announcement Sarkozy would inaugurate his headquarters in a humble Paris office building.