French centrist Bayrou offers alliance with independent Macron

Francois Bayrou, French politician and mayor of Pau, arrives to attend the funeral of former CFDT labour union leader Francois Chereque in Paris, France, January 5, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/Files

PARIS (Reuters) - Veteran French centrist Francois Bayrou said on Wednesday he would not stand in the presidential election and was offering an alliance with independent candidate Emmanuel Macron "This alliance can bring something to the country," Bayrou told reporters, warning that the stakes were too high to have so many candidates in the race for the Elysee. Bayrou, 65, a pro-EU politician who won about 9 percent of first round votes when he ran in the 2012 presidential vote, is polling around 5-6 percent according to some surveys. (Reporting by John Irish; editing by Richard Balmforth)