German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced over the weekend that she plans to support Nicolas Sarkozy in the two-round French presidential elections scheduled for April and May . . . Merkel plans to reciprocate for Sarkozy after he campaigned for her 2009 reelection campaign . . . however, Sarkozy has not yet officially announced that he will be running for re-election . . . he has to make a decision by March 16 . . . Sarkozy is currently behind in recent polls to the Socialist presidential candidate Francois Hollande . . . a recent survey by Le Monde indicates that the French find Merkel to be more trustworthy than Sarkozy . . . the European press has given the two leaders the nickname "Merkozy" for their apparent closeness at EU meetings, despite media reports of antipathy between the two leaders behind closed doors . . . Merkel would like to ensure continuity for the European Union and is likely concerned that a victory for Hollande could disrupt German-led efforts to solve the Eurozone fiscal crisis . . . her endorsement could help Sarkozy’s election efforts in France if Merkel can lend his campaign some of her credibility.