Nicolas Sarkozy, France's interior minister and presidential hopeful, tightened his grip on the ruling centre-right UMP party yesterday with an US-style campaign speech emphasising his entrepreneurial values to a cheering crowd of young supporters and pop stars.

With Johnny Hallyday, France's ageing rock hero, looking on, Mr Sarkozy appealed to the younger generation to back his vision of a France that is "woken up by people who are early risers, who roll up their sleeves to achieve their dreams".