France's Royal under fire over leadership bid

PARIS, June 25 (Reuters) Defeated French Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal came under fire over her bid to lead the leftist party today, with one rival accusing her of seeking to establish a monarchy.

The Socialist party has been deeply divided over its future direction and leadership since Royal lost the presidential election against conservative Nicolas Sarkozy in May and the party was defeated in a parliamentary election this month.

Royal has indicated she wants to lead the party and become its next presidential candidate in 2012, but opposition to the regional leader's unorthodox style has grown among Socialists.

''Setting up a sort of permanent monarchy where just one person decides -- I won't call that a renovation (of the party),'' Socialist senator Jean-Luc Melenchon told LCI television, referring to Royal.

Royal overwhelmingly won a party primary to become the party's presidential candidate last year. But she irked many Socialist officials during her campaign when she frequently distanced herself from the party on issues such as labour reform and law-and-order policy.

Royal has advocated an opening of the party to the centre, while former Finance Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a possible leadership contender, wants it to become a social-democratic force.

Other officials say the party should move further left.

Royal suffered a setback on Saturday when a congress of senior Socialists decided not to select the party's new leader until 2008 and to choose the presidential candidate in 2010.

Royal, hoping to seize on the momentum of her election campaign, had wanted both posts decided as soon as possible. She had wanted party members to decide on the selection schedule.

Royal, 53, spiced up the leadership battle last week when she said she had split up from her partner of some 30 years, current party leader Francois Hollande. Hollande has said he wants to stay in his post until 2008.

The former couple, who have four children, have exchanged veiled attacks over past days, to the dismay of some Socialists.

''The debate between Segolene Royal and Francois Hollande is a drag, to say the least,'' said Jean-Christophe Cambadelis, a Socialist close to Strauss-Kahn.

''It hampers the renovation of the left. It's the only thing people talk about,'' Cambadelis told French television.

Hollande, 52, marked a victory at Saturday's congress when he pushed through his schedule for the leadership selection process. Royal stayed away from the meeting.

''The divorce has been consummated,'' Liberation daily said in a frontpage headline above a caricature showing Royal being burned on the stake by hooded Socialists.

REUTERS SR RN2130