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Sarkozy, Royal Would Reach French Run-Off
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Nicolas Sarkozy of the centre-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) has become the most popular presidential contender in France, according to a poll by CSA published in Marianne. 32 per cent of respondents would vote for Sarkozy in next year's election, while 30 per cent would vote for Ségolène Royal of the Socialist Party (PS).
Jean-Marie Le Pen of the National Front (FN) is in third place with 15 per cent, followed by Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) member Olivier Besancenot with six per cent, and Union for French Democracy (UDF) leader François Bayrou with five per cent.
Support is lower for Arlette Laguiller of Workers' Struggle (LO), Movement for France (MPF) leader Philippe de Villiers, Marie-George Buffet of the French Communist Party (PCF) and Dominique Voynet of the Greens (Verts).
Royal is the leader of the regional government of Poitou-Charentes. Sarkozy currently serves as France's interior minister. In a prospective run-off scenario, Royal holds a two-point edge over Sarkozy.
On Jun. 16, the French Senate approved the immigration proposal developed by Sarkozy. The plan calls for the creation of a three-year residence permit for qualified workers, and would simplify the rules for specific sectors that face labour shortages. Leftist politicians have accused Sarkozy of pandering to the extreme right.
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 tentatively scheduled for April 2007.
Polling Data
Among the following candidates, for whom would there be the most chances than you vote with the first turn of the presidential election?
Jun. 2006 | May 2006 | Apr. 2006 | |
Nicolas Sarkozy | 32% | 32% | 31% |
Ségolène Royal | 30% | 33% | 31% |
Jean-Marie Le Pen | 15% | 13% | 14% |
Olivier Besancenot | 6% | 5% | 5% |
François Bayrou | 5% | 5% | 5% |
Arlette Laguiller | 3% | 4% | 5% |
Philippe de Villiers | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Marie-George Buffet | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Dominique Voynet | 3% | 2% | 2% |
Run-Off Scenario
Jun. 2006 | May 2006 | Apr. 2006 | |
Ségolène Royal | 51% | 53% | 53% |
Nicolas Sarkozy | 49% | 47% | 47% |
Source: CSA / Marianne
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 844 French adults, conducted on Jun. 7, 2006. No margin of error was provided.