Art, de "French politics", considère les chances du centre à la présidentielle 2012, et fait un tour d'horizon des candidats.

What about Bayrou? (...) I'm not sure why he hasn't emerged with a higher profile in this year's presidential sweepstakes. His showing in 2007 should entitle him to a certain consideration.

Voici mon commentaire en anglais de cuisine.

Of course the point in your post is a key issue for me: I feel uneasy in answering quickly.

Three very short points:

1- I think Bayrou's pros are at least stronger than in 2006 - hence my post.

2- I think Bayrou's agenda and arguments are basically the same as in 2006: that explains why the media, and even more the public opinion, wouldn't pay much interest to "news" from Bayrou: they already know.

3- That may be a very strong position once dust has fallen, a little bit like Mitterrand's at the end of 1980, or Chirac's at the beginning of 1995.

4 (well, that's four)- Gathering "le centre" is not a goal per se. That has no meaning for the country. You can gather "le centre" if you give an orientation the public as a whole (even left- or right-oriented) will find valid and hope for. And after all, that's a definition of "le centre".