It might be described as a Royal pardon. The former French presidential candidate, Segolene Royal, yesterday put aside personal bitterness and endorsed her former partner, Francois Hollande, in the second round of the Socialist presidential primary.
Her decision took French political commentators by surprise. Royal, 58, the failed Socialist contender in 2007, wept in public last Sunday when she took only 6.9 per cent of the vote in the first round of the primary election to choose a centre-left candidate for the election in June.
Royal was expected to refuse to endorse the remaining candidates, Hollande, 57, and the Socialist party leader, Martine Aubry, 60. She has personal grievances with both.
Her 29-year relationship with Hollande ended acrimoniously just after the 2007 presidential campaign. They have four children together.
Royal is also known to dislike and distrust Aubry, who narrowly defeated her for the leadership of the Parti Socialiste in 2008.