He's up for election next year... it'll be interesting to watch from afar.
you wrote "He's up for election next year... it'll be interesting to watch from afar."
Chirac? Up for election? Are you completely not paying attention. It is like someone in Europe thinking that Bush is up for election in 2008.
It is a battle between de Villepen and Sarkozy, but Chirac is gone next year.