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Half of French Socialists Back Royal in 2007
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many supporters of France's Socialist Party (PS) believe Ségolène Royal should run for president next year, according to a poll by Ifop published in Le Journal du Dimanche. 50 per cent of respondents think the regional leader would be the best candidate.
Former presidential candidate and prime minister Lionel Jospin is second with 14 per cent, followed by former culture and education minister Jack Lang and former health minister Bernard Kouchner with eight per cent each, and former finance minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn with seven per cent. Support is lower for former prime minister Laurent Fabius, former employment minister Martine Aubry, and current PS leader François Hollande.
Royal's political career began during the tenure of French president François Mitterrand in 1981. Mitterrand named her environment minister in 1992. She currently heads the regional government of Poitou-Charentes.
Last month, Royal received the endorsement of French Polynesia president Oscar Temaru, who declared, "It's time for a change in France after Germany, Chile and New Zealand chose women to lead their countries." Temaru's Popular Front (TH-FP) party was backed by France's PS in the past two elections.
Centre-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) candidate Jacques Chirac won the presidential ballot in 1995, and was re-elected in a run-off over Jean-Marie Le Pen in May 2002. The next election is tentatively scheduled for April 2007.
Polling Data
Which of these persons is, in your view, the best candidate to represent the Socialist Party (PS) in the next presidential election?
Ségolène Royal | 50% |
Lionel Jospin | 14% |
Jack Lang | 8% |
Bernard Kouchner | 8% |
Dominique Strauss-Kahn | 7% |
Laurent Fabius | 5% |
Martine Aubry | 3% |
François Hollande | 3% |
Source: Ifop / Le Journal du Dimanche
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 681 French adults who support the Socialist Party (PS), conducted from Apr. 27 to May 4, 2006. No margin of error was provided.