French Socialists' vicious row a boon for Sarkozy

By Estelle Shirbon

PARIS (Reuters) - A power struggle between French politician Segolene Royal and an estranged ally has thrown the opposition Socialist Party into turmoil, offering relief to President Nicolas Sarkozy who faces disunity in his own camp.

Weakened by their inability to unite around a leader after Royal lost the 2007 presidential poll, the Socialists have failed to capitalise on Sarkozy's myriad problems which have pushed his approval ratings to record lows.

Instead, the opposition party has been tearing itself to shreds since the unpredictable Royal gate-crashed a debate organised by friend-turned-rival Vincent Peillon at the weekend -- an apparently minor incident that exposed deep divisions.

"She is in need of heavy psychiatric care," Peillon said of Royal on BFM television in the latest of a series of attacks, accusing her of sabotaging efforts to generate genuine policy proposals because of a naked desire to grab the media spotlight.

Royal has fought back vigorously, accusing Peillon of upstaging her within the party, and casting herself as a leader with grassroots popularity facing down apparatchiks.

"I didn't do anything wrong. I only went to meet the party activists who, by the way, were all delighted to see me," she said on France Inter radio.

The Royal-Peillon spat has drawn cries of consternation from other Socialists, who have labelled it "pathetic", "sad" and "appalling", but they have talked of nothing else for days, losing a golden opportunity to cause trouble for Sarkozy.