  We propose a model for cosmic inflation which is based on an effective
description of strongly interacting, nonsupersymmetric matter within the
framework of dynamical abelian projection and centerization. The underlying
gauge symmetry is assumed to be SU(N) with N$\gg$1. Appealing to a
thermodynamical treatment, the ground-state structure of the model is
determined by a potential for the inflaton field (monopole condensate) which
allows for nontrivially BPS saturated and thereby stable solutions. For $T<M_P$
this leads to an apparent decoupling of gravity from the inflaton dynamics. The
ground state dynamics implies a heat capacity for the vacuum leading to
inflation for temperatures comparable to the mass scale $M$ of the potential.
The dynamics has an attractor property. In contrast to the usual slow-roll
paradigm we have $m\gg H$ during inflation. As a consequence, density
perturbations generated from the inflaton are irrelevant for the formation of
large-scale structure, and the model has to be supplemented with an inflaton
independent mechanism for the generation of spatial curvature perturbations.
Within a small fraction of the Hubble time inflation is terminated by a
transition of the theory to its center symmetric phase. Due to the prevailing
$Z_{N}$ symmetry relic vector bosons are stabilized and therefore potential
originators of UHECR's beyond the GZK bound.
