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Sarkozy First, Bayrou Third in France
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Nicolas Sarkozy is still the top-rated presidential candidate in France, according to a poll by Louis-Harris released by RMC. 31 per cent of respondents would support the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) contender in this year's election.
Ségolène Royal of the Socialist Party (PS) is second with 27 per cent, followed by Union for French Democracy (UDF) leader François Bayrou with 13 per cent, and Jean-Marie Le Pen of the National Front (FN) with 12 per cent.
Support is lower for Marie-George Buffet of the French Communist Party (PCF), Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) member Olivier Besancenot, Arlette Laguiller of Workers' Struggle (LO), Movement for France (MPF) leader Philippe de Villiers, farmer-activist José Bové, Dominique Voynet of the Greens (Verts), Corinne Lepage of Citizenship, Action, Participation for the 21st Century, and National Assembly member Nicolas Dupont-Aignan.
Sarkozy currently serves as France's interior minister. Royal is the leader of the regional government of Poitou-Charentes. In a prospective run-off scenario, Sarkozy holds a six-point advantage over Royal.
Last week, Bayrou expressed satisfaction with his recent surge, adding, "The French are looking for a candidate offering a different approach will force the two ever-fighting parties to work together instead of destroying each other."
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. If no candidate garners more than 50 per cent of all cast ballots, a run-off would take place on May 6.
Polling Data
Which candidate would you support in the first round of the presidential election?
Feb. 10 | Feb. 3 | Jan. 27 | |
Nicolas Sarkozy | 31% | 33% | 31% |
Ségolène Royal | 27% | 27% | 29% |
François Bayrou | 13% | 13% | 14% |
Jean-Marie Le Pen | 12% | 9% | 10% |
Marie-George Buffet | 3% | 3% | 5% |
Olivier Besancenot | 3% | 3% | 2% |
Arlette Laguiller | 3% | 3% | 2% |
Philippe de Villiers | 2.5% | 3% | 2% |
José Bové | 2% | 2.5% | 2% |
Dominique Voynet | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Corinne Lepage | 1% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
Nicolas Dupont-Aignan | 0.5% | -- | -- |
Frédéric Nihous | -- | 1% | 0.5% |
Run-Off Scenario
Feb. 10 | Feb. 3 | Jan. 27 | |
Nicolas Sarkozy | 53% | 52% | 51% |
Ségolène Royal | 47% | 48% | 49% |
Source: Louis-Harris / RMC
Methodology: Interviews with 1,007 French adults, conducted on Feb. 9 and Feb. 10, 2007. No margin of error was provided.