“Forgive them for they know not what they do”

…..was the biblical citation that ricocheted from the other side of the Atlantic during Segolene Royal’s four-day visit to Canada.

The Socialist party’s candidate in this year’s presidential election was responding to extracts from an upcoming book by former prime minister, Lionel Jospin, published in Monday’s edition of the Left leaning daily, Liberation.

Jospin, a fixture on the French political scene for decades, describes Royal quite simply as a minor figure in public life, who has neither the human qualities nor the political clout to be the party’s next leader. Furthermore he maintains she is not the right person to spearhead the Socialists campaign for the next presidential election in 2012.

Royal said she was given to quote Christ’s words on the cross because the party’s leaders apparently don’t realise they are doing less harm to her than they are to the themselves or indeed the entire Left.

Yep that’s right, the Socialists are continuing their infighting and posturing just four months after their double defeat in both this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections.

But let’s take a time out to look at what gives Jospin the right to make such claims.

Ah yes, he was prime minister in a government of “cohabitation” (a term used to describe a leftwing government under a rightwing president or vice-versa) from 1997 until 2002 during Jacques Chirac’s first term in the Elysee palace.

It was his administration that oversaw the introduction of the hugely successful 35-hour working week – the foundation on which France’s current economic success is built.

He twice ran for president. In 1995 he lost narrowly to Chirac, but will probably be better remembered for leading the party to a spectacularly shocking electoral loss in the presidential race five years ago. Not only did he fail to make the second round, but he also finished behind the wonderfully popular far right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen, who went head to head with Chirac in round two.

So clearly Jospin is well qualified to pontificate on who should lead the party in any presidential campaign.

He’s also obviously a man of political integrity. He “retired” from political life after that humiliating defeat only to resurface briefly last year as the Socialists were going through the nomination process for their presidential candidate.

Wisely perhaps, he quickly dropped out and retired again. Royal won the nomination with over 60 per cent of the party members voting for her. If Jospin is to be believed they were evidently misguided in their choice

The limelight beckoned again midway through Royal’s campaign, when Jospin joined the rest of the party’s so-called “elephants” to smile sweetly for the cameras and rally behind her. Integrity in one hand, knife in the other.

So what is driving this man, who undoubtedly understands the true meaning of loyalty – he himself appointed “the minor figure in public life” as family minister in his government – to be so outspoken in his criticism of Royal?

At the ripe old age of 70 he cannot surely have pretensions of the nation’s highest office. Kind speculation would suggest he perceives himself compelled to be a would-be kingmaker. He is reported to be about to throw his weight behind Bertrand Delanoë’s bid to be party chairman next year – the expected launch pad for any presidential campaign for 2012.

Delanoë is the high profile mayor of Paris and is rumoured have his sights firmly set on bigger things.

A word of warning perhaps. Given Jospin’s combined track record of integrity loyalty and electoral success perhaps Delanoë would be well advised to look elsewhere for support, or at the very least to invest in a well padded knife-resistant jacket.