Signs show that the Right-wing candidate Nicolas Sarkozy is leading Left-wing candidate Segolene Royal in the French Presidential elections....
Early signs suggest a Sarkozy win
By Henry Samuel and Harry de Quetteville in Paris, Sunday Telegraph
06/05/2007
France was heading for a Right-wing revolution after Nicolas Sarkozy was elected France’s new president by a clear majority, according to preliminary exit polls released by Swiss media.
French expatriates in Britain vote in the French Presidential election
There was supressed excitement at the right-wing UMP leader’s campaign party headquarters in Paris, as the polls by French organisations gave Mr Sarkozy, 52, between 53 and 53.5 per cent of the vote, well ahead of his Socialist rival, Ségolène Royal.
The margin of victory appeared to be heading for an historic high – the biggest in a Right-Left presidential election since Charles De Gaulle’s defeat of François Mitterand in 1965.
Although official exit polls are expected shortly after 7pm UK time, when the last polling booths shut, the early figures left little room for doubt that the 52-year old favourite had won the battle to succeed Jacques Chirac after 12 years in power.
Turnout at 5pm local time had reached 75 per cent – the highest in 25 years, according to the interior ministry.
Mr Sarkozy has campaigned on themes such as national identity, security and radical economic reforms, including curbing union powers, dropping social charges from those wanting to work longer than the 35-hour week and cutting punitive French taxes.
He had scored over 31 per cent in the first round compared to Miss Royal’s 26 per cent and polls had shown his lead increasing in the final days of the campaign, despite attacks from his rival that he posed a “danger” to France.
It appeared that the seven million voters who backed centrist UDF candidate François Bayrou in the first round had not flocked to Miss Royal in sufficient numbers despite her promise to appoint UDF ministers and perhaps Mr Bayrou as prime minister.
Supporters of far-Right leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, clearly decided to ignore his calls for massive abstention – roughly three quarters were expected to vote for Mr Sarkozy, who had made no secret of wanting to woo the extreme Right with his tough immigration policies and nationalist stance.
Standing outside campaign headquarters in Paris’ 10th arrondissement, Margarette Laval, a pensioner was still waiting for an announcement, but said: “We’re optimistic. It’s imperative that Sarkozy wins to set the country straight. We’ve got to get back to work.”
telegraph.co.uk
Royal v Sarkozy: The policies
SALARIES, BENEFITS AND PENSIONS
ROYAL
SARKOZY
ROYAL
ROYAL
ROYAL
SARKOZY
ROYAL
ROYAL
Residency papers for those who meet certain criteria such as job contract, time in France
ROYAL
Early signs suggest a Sarkozy win
By Henry Samuel and Harry de Quetteville in Paris, Sunday Telegraph
06/05/2007
France was heading for a Right-wing revolution after Nicolas Sarkozy was elected France’s new president by a clear majority, according to preliminary exit polls released by Swiss media.
French expatriates in Britain vote in the French Presidential election
There was supressed excitement at the right-wing UMP leader’s campaign party headquarters in Paris, as the polls by French organisations gave Mr Sarkozy, 52, between 53 and 53.5 per cent of the vote, well ahead of his Socialist rival, Ségolène Royal.
The margin of victory appeared to be heading for an historic high – the biggest in a Right-Left presidential election since Charles De Gaulle’s defeat of François Mitterand in 1965.
Although official exit polls are expected shortly after 7pm UK time, when the last polling booths shut, the early figures left little room for doubt that the 52-year old favourite had won the battle to succeed Jacques Chirac after 12 years in power.
Turnout at 5pm local time had reached 75 per cent – the highest in 25 years, according to the interior ministry.
Mr Sarkozy has campaigned on themes such as national identity, security and radical economic reforms, including curbing union powers, dropping social charges from those wanting to work longer than the 35-hour week and cutting punitive French taxes.
He had scored over 31 per cent in the first round compared to Miss Royal’s 26 per cent and polls had shown his lead increasing in the final days of the campaign, despite attacks from his rival that he posed a “danger” to France.
It appeared that the seven million voters who backed centrist UDF candidate François Bayrou in the first round had not flocked to Miss Royal in sufficient numbers despite her promise to appoint UDF ministers and perhaps Mr Bayrou as prime minister.
Supporters of far-Right leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, clearly decided to ignore his calls for massive abstention – roughly three quarters were expected to vote for Mr Sarkozy, who had made no secret of wanting to woo the extreme Right with his tough immigration policies and nationalist stance.
Standing outside campaign headquarters in Paris’ 10th arrondissement, Margarette Laval, a pensioner was still waiting for an announcement, but said: “We’re optimistic. It’s imperative that Sarkozy wins to set the country straight. We’ve got to get back to work.”
telegraph.co.uk
Royal v Sarkozy: The policies
SALARIES, BENEFITS AND PENSIONS
ROYAL
- Minimum wage to rise by about 250 euros ($325) to 1,500 euros per month
- Raise basic state pension by 5%
- Jobless to receive 90% of salary for first year of unemployment
SARKOZY
- Exempt overtime (above 35 hours) from taxes and social security charges
- Allow workers to retire at the age they want
- Potentially remove benefits from those who turn down work
ROYAL
- Renegotiated EU treaty put to referendum
- Create a Eurozone government, which would promote economic growth and agreement on common tax levels
- New EU-led Mideast peace initiative
- "Mini" EU treaty put to French parliament
- Create a new "Mediterranean Union" comprising France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Cyprus
- Oppose Turkey's membership of the EU
ROYAL
- Build 120,000 new council homes per year and allow councils to claim properties empty for two years
- Cap some private rents and grant lifelong guarantee of housing
- Provide assistance to those in council housing who want to buy their property
- No person forced to sleep rough within two years of his election
ROYAL
- Reduce dependence on nuclear power
- 20% of energy from renewables by 2020
- Reform EU farming subsidies to favour environment and smaller farmers
- Promote nuclear power as a clean source of energy
- Increase amount of tax on pollution
- Simplify EU farming subsidies and link payments to actual market prices for products
ROYAL
- No increase in general taxation
- Lower tax burden on companies that create jobs
- "Consolidate" 35-hour week
- 4 percentage point drop in taxes
- Exempt up to 95% of population from inheritance tax
- Allow people to work more than 35 hours if they wish
ROYAL
Residency papers for those who meet certain criteria such as job contract, time in France
- Military-style training camps for young offenders
- Reduce illegal immigration, pursue selective immigration that favours arrival of qualified workers
- Minimum sentences for repeat offenders, tougher sentences for juveniles
ROYAL
- Financed by economic growth of 2.5% every year over next five years
- Cut civil service, costs of which account for 45% of government budget
