"Good day to you all, I'm very happy today to launch my Twitter account. Thank you to all of those who would like to follow me," he said, in his first message, under the official Twitter handle @NicolasSarkozy.
"I have accepted TF1's invitation to appear on the 8:00 pm news tonight and I invite you all to join me," he said, referring to France's main private network, on which he was to launch his campaign.
Sarkozy is due to face around a dozen opponents in the first round of voting on April 22. The two best placed candidates will then have a run-off on May 6.
Sarkozy is coming to the end of his first five-year term and, while he has not formally confirmed his re-election bid, he has made no secret of his determination to run for office despite low opinion poll ratings.
For several months all pollsters have predicted that he will be beaten by the Socialist opposition challenger Francois Hollande, while also facing a stiff challenge from far right flagbearer Marine Le Pen.
After nine hours active, Sarkozy's Twitter account had gained 42,522 "followers" -- a quick start, but fewer than the 150,252 web-users who already receive Hollande's regular updates.
He was welcomed to the Twittersphere by ex-wife Cecilia Attias, whom he divorced in 2007 after an acrimonious break-up and who wrote Wednesday: "Good luck to Nicolas Sarkozy, who is starting his campaign today."
No comments:
Post a Comment