"My dear compatriots, I want only one thing: to gather the French people around a new French dream," he told supporters at his UMP party.

“我亲爱的同胞们，我想要做的事情只有一件：把全法国的人民都聚集在一个全新的法国梦周围”在他的UMP党聚会上，他对支持者说。

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Others claim it represents a bid by Mr.Sarkozy's conservative UMP party to lure far-right voters for regional elections in March.

VOA: standard.2010.01.30

Earlier this month Jean-Francois Cope, parliamentary floor leader of Mr.Sarkozy's ruling UMP party, introduced draft legislation to ban the face-veil.

VOA: standard.2010.01.30

Mr Sarkozy's UMP party has previously denied any allegations it was involved in a plot against Mr Strauss-Kahn.

BBC: Dominique Strauss-Kahn

Rashid Kaci - A French Muslim politician and leader of a faction within the ruling Gaullist UMP party.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center co-sponsors international conference

Mr Sarkozy, who led the centre-right UMP party, was defeated in the May 2012 presidential election by Socialist rival Francois Hollande.

BBC: Nicolas Sarkozy - file pic