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Europe
Sarko v Ségo in French poll
2007-04-23
Nicolas Sarkozy, France's rightwing former interior minister, last night stormed to one of the most impressive first-round victories in French presidential history, making him favourite to beat the socialist Ségolène Royal to the Elysée in a fortnight's time. The head of France's ruling UMP party emerged as the most popular rightwing politician in 30 years after promising to shake France out of its decline with a mixture of free-market reforms, and to restore "authority" with tough law and order measures, clamp down on immigration and instil a sense of "national pride". According to early official counts, he scored 30.5% of the vote.

Addressing a rally of around 2,000 supporters in Paris, Mr Sarkozy said: "I wish only to rally people around a new French dream of a fraternal republic." He said his vision of France valued work, instilled authority and was a France where people did not fear others. He said he would rally the workers, farmers and all those who had suffered and were "exasperated".

Ms Royal, the first woman with a chance of becoming president, comfortably qualified for the second round run-off on May 6, with an estimated 25.7% of the vote, the highest for a Socialist since Francois Mitterrand in 1988. She has styled herself the defender of social justice who "listens to the people", challenging Mr Sarkozy indirectly for his "brutal" style, divisiveness and "dangerous" authoritarianism.
And who better than a socialist to recognize those things?
The centrist Francois Bayrou, the dark horse "third man" who had posed a surprise challenge to the frontrunners, took 18.5% of the vote. Mr Le Pen came fourth with 11.5%, his worst result in a presidential election since he first ran in 1974.

Francois Fillon, of the UMP, widely tipped as Mr Sarkozy's possible future prime minister, said the result was not about "crying victory" but would allow the nation "to choose between two concepts of national identity and two ways of doing politics". Mr Sarkozy, whose inspirations are Charles de Gaulle and Pope John Paul II, has said France needs "a new Renaissance" and has promised to restore pride in "what it means to be French".

Ms Royal has broken away from the traditional left, styling herself as a mother figure who sings the Marseillaise and calling for everyone to place a French flag in their window.
Posted by:Steve White

#13  Old Patriot - I bow to your superior Francophobia.
Posted by: DMFD   2007-04-23 22:54  

#12  I despise France, so I hope Royal wins. If anyone can run that country into the ground, she can.
I don't despise France, but I DO despise the French Government/Civil Service, and 2/3 of the residents of Paris and its environs. A volcano popping up in the center of Paris would destroy a lot of nice buildings, art, etc., but would cause me no distress at all. All French socialists should die from a horribly painful disease. Chirac should have to swan-dive into a glass of water from the top of the Eifel Tower, wrapped in 200lb of lead. Hanging's too good for him. All French politicians should have to spend two weeks at Fort Erwin during a "field problem" - in the summertime. Book 'em into the local Motel 6, and have the air conditioning break down. The survivors get to go home.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2007-04-23 21:36  

#11  I despise France, so I hope Royal wins. If anyone can run that country into the ground, she can.
Posted by: DMFD   2007-04-23 19:23  

#10  Forgot to say that Chirac is a pure product of France's civil service and ever been a statist (except for a short time during the Reagan revolution) while Srakozy
Posted by: JFM   2007-04-23 13:56  

#9  You are wrong. Chirac flirted with the Communist Party when he was young. while Sarkozy has never forgotten his family had to flee communism in order to survive.

Chirac is a pathological anti-american (1) and veiled anti-semitic, Sarkozy is both America and Israel friendly.

Chira
Chirac has ever been an obssessive womanizer (and a brothel patron before success in politics brought success with women). After meeting Cecilia, his wife, Sarkozy seems to have been a one-woman man and that despite her having an affair (Seems Chirac/Villepin managed for her getting a report from police/secret services telling that Sarkozy was cheating her. It was untrue)


Finally Chirac hates Sarkozy for siding with Balladur in 1995 (and for an a affair with his daughter) and has tried to kill him politically. Sarkozy loathes and despises Chirac.


(1) I suspect that during his stay in America when he was twenty he tried to seduce/have sex with an American girl and was laughed upon. I suspect his male vanity is one of the rteasons of his hate for America.
Posted by: JFM   2007-04-23 13:39  

#8  About 25% voted for the extreme right and left.
20% for the center.

My bet would be Sarkozy but he'll have to convince enough of the far right, and left and center to win. It's going to be a tough job.
In the EU I don't know if the "patriotic" card still works.
Posted by: Swiss Tex   2007-04-23 13:17  

#7  I have a bad feeling that Sarko is Chirac fils.
Posted by: E. Brown   2007-04-23 11:42  

#6  Quite BP - watch the remnants of the French economy and society implode.
Posted by: Howard UK   2007-04-23 08:24  

#5  I'm hoping for the Segosaurus, so the U.K. gets all the useful French, and the world sees that Socialism kills.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles in Blairistan   2007-04-23 08:17  

#4  A serious and sober France would much more helpful... or at least less harmful, than the current Chiraq-led one. Even a France turned inward as she addresses her own problems would be better for the world than the dangerous games she now plays. My prayer for France is that Sarkozy is as good as his brave words.
Posted by: trailing wife   2007-04-23 07:51  

#3  Really? Wait until US pilots have to fight chinese ones flying French designed aircraft instead of Chinese crap.

So curing France of moonbatism can make a lot of differnce.
Posted by: JFM   2007-04-23 07:20  

#2  The frogs are irrelevant, but I hope they choose Sarkozy anyway.
Posted by: Vinegar Ulerong1260   2007-04-23 02:53  

#1  Wel-l-l, DRUDGEREPORT > Brit's JTAC terror analysis centre [located within MI5 on London] warns that AL-QAEDA may possibly be planning large-scale terro attacks inside Britain/UK, wid potens support from Iran, ON PAR WID HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI, AND WILL "SHAKE THE ROMAN THRONE". FRANCE OR USA OR BRIT, WHICH SUPER-PC POL WANTS TO BE LEADER IFF AND WHEN SUCH "MASS/HIGH-CASUALTY" [article]OCCURS. and then SSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH says the Nation CAN NOT = MUST NOT "RETALIATE".
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2007-04-23 01:15  

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