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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Sarkozy Barely Ahead of Royal in France
- Public support for Nicolas Sarkozy fell in France, according to a poll by TNS-Sofres released by Le Figaro and LCI. 36 per cent of respondents would support the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) member in next year's presidential election, down two points since early October.
Ségolène Royal of the Socialist Party (PS) is second with 34 per cent—up 4.5 points in a month—followed by Jean-Marie Le Pen of the National Front (FN) with 11 per cent, and Union for French Democracy (UDF) leader François Bayrou with seven per cent.
Support is lower for Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) member Olivier Besancenot, Arlette Laguiller of Workers' Struggle (LO), Marie-George Buffet of the French Communist Party (PCF), Movement for France (MPF) leader Philippe de Villiers, and Dominique Voynet of the Greens (Verts).
Sarkozy currently serves as France's interior minister. Royal is the leader of the regional government of Poitou-Charentes.
On Oct. 12, Sarkozy called for a "new state, a new nation and a new republic" during a speech in Périgueux. Earlier this month, current defence minister Michèle Alliot-Marie claimed she is "the only UMP candidate who can beat Royal."
The UMP's Jacques Chirac won the presidential ballot in 1995, and was re-elected in a run-off over Le Pen in May 2002. The next election is scheduled for Apr. 22, 2007. If no candidate garners more than 50 per cent of all cast ballots, a run-off would take place on May 6.
Polling Data
Who would you vote for in the presidential election?
Oct. 13 | Oct. 5 | Sept. 2006 | |
Nicolas Sarkozy | 36% | 38% | 36% |
Ségolène Royal | 34% | 29.5% | 34% |
Jean-Marie Le Pen | 11% | 9.5% | 10% |
François Bayrou | 7% | 7% | 7% |
Olivier Besancenot | 4% | 5% | 3.5% |
Arlette Laguiller | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Marie-George Buffet | 2% | 3% | 3% |
Philippe de Villiers | 2% | 3% | 2% |
Dominique Voynet | 1% | 2% | 1.5% |
Source: TNS-Sofres / Le Figaro / LCI
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,000 French adults, conducted on Oct. 12 and Oct. 13, 2006. No margin of error was provided.