Final vote for French President on Sunday

DuH2 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-03-2007, 02:12 PM

Quote:

French rivals hold final rallies

Some 90% of voters are thought to have already made up their minds

The two candidates in France's presidential election have held their final campaign rallies before Sunday's run-off vote.
The rallies, at opposition ends of the country, attracted thousands of people.

Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy, in the southern city of Montpellier, promised to unity the nation, re-invigorate the economy and restore full employment.

Socialist Segolene Royal, in the northern city of Lille, called for help to build a new France.

Frontrunner Mr Sarkozy, from the ruling UMP party, addressed about 15,000 supporters who braved driving rain and storms to attend his rally in Montpellier.

He spoke of his love for France, saying he had come to think of the country almost as a person.

He appealed for help to "create the conditions for a French rebirth", saying the nation had two days for "a new energy to rise out of the country's depths".

Mr Sarkozy, 52, also addressed his most controversial previous statements, saying he did not regret using the word "rabble" to describe delinquents from Paris' poorest suburbs, nor did he regret speaking about cleaning housing estates "with a pressure hose".

.....

Quote:

Both candidates claimed victory in a fiery TV debate on Wednesday evening, their only face-off ahead of Sunday's run-off election.

They clashed over employment, the economy and law and order.

The debate was watched by an estimated 23 million people, about half of the electorate, but neither candidate was thought to have landed a decisive blow, analysts say.

According to an opinion poll published on Thursday, 53% of voters found Mr Sarkozy more convincing than Ms Royal who scored 31%.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6620977.stm

Sarkozy wil win and that is a good thing for the USA.

DuH2 · #2 (**permalink**) 05-04-2007, 01:20 AM

Quote:

French poll rivals in final push

Most voters have made up their minds, correspondents say
The candidates in the French presidential election are entering a final day of campaigning ahead of Sunday's vote.
Socialist Segolene Royal will be at a meeting in Brittany, in the west, while conservative Nicolas Sarkozy visits a war memorial in the Alpine region.

The latest opinion polls suggest Mr Sarkozy has extended his lead after Wednesday's televised debate.

Campaigning ends on Friday as voting in some overseas regions is on Saturday.

The BBC's Caroline Wyatt, in Montpellier, says most French voters have now made up their minds with only 10% still undecided.

She says that although Mr Sarkozy may be a deeply divisive figure, few doubt his competence or ability to get things done.

Segolene Royal has fought hard over the past few days to make up lost ground, our correspondent says, but faced with a choice between left and right, most are planning to choose the path of reform laid out by Mr Sarkozy.

'Betrayal'

The final day of campaigning is expected to be low-key.

Ms Royal will be hoping to win over any floating voters with two open-air rallies in Brittany.

Mr Sarkozy travels to the Alps to attend a ceremony paying respect the resistance fighters of World War II.

He will be buoyed by the latest opinion poll on Friday by TNS Sofres for Le Figaro.

It shows him nine percentage points ahead of Ms Royal, up 2.5 points on a previous poll by the same organisation.

Both candidates held their final big rallies on Thursday, Ms Royal in Lille in the north and Mr Sarkozy at the other end of the country in Montpellier.

Mr Sarkozy returned to his theme of the "betrayal" of France by socialists inspired by the 1968 student protests.

"We have two days left to say goodbye to the heritage of '68," Mr Sarkozy said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6622929.stm

Socialism is starting to die out in Europe....which is good..especially for France whichhas been a mess economically and socially now for 40 years.

For all you USA haters in the USA(since most of them live in the USA-odd but true) Sarkozy likes the USA and wants to move France closer to it..and so does Merkel in Germany.

Rebellion · #3 (**permalink**) 05-04-2007, 08:26 AM

Add Sweden to that list.

griffonfr · #4 (**permalink**) 05-06-2007, 12:04 PM

Sarkozy wins 53.3% to 46.7%

DuH2 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-06-2007, 02:54 PM

Well hopefully in a decade at most he will reform your nation to the point that it wil be viewed as it was prior to 1968.

Janglo · #6 (**permalink**) 05-06-2007, 03:17 PM

"Washington can “count on our friendship,” Sarkozy told hundreds of cheering supporters, though he added that “friendship means accepting that friends can have different opinions.”

Can you say "Status Quo" ? Perfect double talk. We are friends but good chance we will not see eye-to-eye. This guy is perfect. Just what France needed really.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode