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France 2007: Sarkozy 27%, Royal 25%
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Nicolas Sarkozy is barely ahead of Ségolène Royal in the French presidential race, according to a poll by CSA published in Le Parisien. 27 per cent of respondents would vote for the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) contender, while 25 per cent would support the Socialist Party (PS) candidate.
Union for French Democracy (UDF) leader François Bayrou is third with 19 per cent, followed by Jean-Marie Le Pen of the National Front (FN) with 15.5 per cent.
Support is lower for Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) member Olivier Besancenot, Marie-George Buffet of the French Communist Party (PCF), Dominique Voynet of the Greens (Verts), Frédéric Nihous of Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Traditions (CPNT), farmer-activist José Bové, Movement for France (MPF) leader Philippe de Villiers, and Arlette Laguiller of Workers' Struggle (LO).
Sarkozy served as France's interior minister. Royal is the leader of the regional government of Poitou-Charentes. In a prospective run-off scenario, Sarkozy and Royal are tied with 50 per cent each.
On Apr. 16, current PS leader François Hollande called on left and centre sympathizers to cast a "useful ballot" and support Royal, adding, "I cannot express a specific fear or an excessive confidence."
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
Among the following candidates, who are you most likely to vote for in the first round of the presidential election?
Apr. 16 | Apr. 12 | Apr. 11 | |
Nicolas Sarkozy | 27% | 26% | 27% |
Ségolène Royal | 25% | 23% | 25% |
François Bayrou | 19% | 21% | 19% |
Jean-Marie Le Pen | 15.5% | 15% | 15% |
Olivier Besancenot | 4% | 4% | 3.5% |
Marie-George Buffet | 2% | 2.5% | 2% |
Dominique Voynet | 2% | 1% | 1.5% |
Frédéric Nihous | 1.5% | 2% | 1.5% |
José Bové | 1.5% | 1.5% | 2% |
Philippe de Villiers | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1% |
Arlette Laguiller | 1% | 2% | 2% |
Run-Off Scenario
Apr. 16 | Apr. 12 | Apr. 11 | |
Nicolas Sarkozy | 50% | 51% | 52% |
Ségolène Royal | 50% | 49% | 48% |
Source: CSA / Le Parisien
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,006 French adults, conducted on Apr. 16, 2007. No margin of error was provided.