Merkel pledges to ‘actively support’ Sarkozy campaign

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will “actively support” French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a fellow conservative, in his spring campaign to win re-election, said her Christian Democrat (CDU) party in Berlin.

It is unusual for German leaders to intervene in elections abroad even though the CDU and Sarkozy’s UMP have similar policies. Merkel and Sarkozy have worked closely in trying to solve the eurozone sovereign debt crisis and have even earned the nickname “Merkozy” for their close working relationship.

A spokesman for the CDU said Merkel, in her capacity as the leader of Germany’s conservatives, was planning to make several joint campaign appearances with Sarkozy in the spring, ahead of the two-round French election on April 22 and May 6.