Resignation May Test Ruling Party’s Unity
Former Prime Minister Alain Juppe stepped down as head of French President Jacques Chirac’s party, opening the way for a leadership battle that could split the party and the government.
Juppe, a Chirac ally, carried out a promise to resign as chairman of the conservative Union for a Popular Movement after his conviction in January in a party funding scandal.
The battle to succeed him in November could pit Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy against Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, testing the unity of the party and the government as they promote economic reforms.
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