Paris  - French Justice Minister Rachida Dati has agreed to resign her post and stand in this spring's elections for the European Parliament, the daily Le Figaro reported on Friday.

After earlier refusing President Nicolas Sarkozy's request to lead the list of candidates for his UMP party in the greater Paris region, Dati has now consented to take the number two spot on the list behind Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier.

According to Le Figaro, Sarkozy gave Dati assurances that becoming a European parliamentarian would not put an end to her ambitions to play an important political role on the national level in the future.

Dati is deeply unpopular with judges and many lawyers. By convincing her to leave her post, Sarkozy eliminated what had become a nagging distraction from his attempt to overhaul the judicial system, including his controversial plan to get rid of the position of examining magistrate.

The 43-year-old Dati recently made waves by returning to work less than a week after giving birth to a girl, her only child. (dpa)