'Prince Jean' Sarkozy Drops Bid for Post

Nicholas Sarkozy's son Jean has dropped his bid to run France's most important business district. The 23-year-old law student, whose move to take over the $150,000 Paris job sparked accusations of nepotism and street protests, announced he didn't want a "tainted" victory. Sarkozy said his "passion for politics" remains, and he'll continue in public life, reports the BBC.

Critics had complained that the move to install Sarkozy in the post held by his father until 2007 made France seem like a banana republic. "This is the voice of wisdom," said a suburban mayor after learning Sarkozy had pulled out of the running. "This candidacy had no legitimacy whatsoever and was widely felt as a real provocation by the French and their local elected officials.” (More Nicolas Sarkozy stories.)