Posted on 04/22/2007 10:02:03 AM PDT by Cincinna
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Segolene Royal are set to contest a French presidential run-off after topping the first-round poll on Sunday, Belgium's Belga news agency said.
Belga quoted first projections which cannot be published in France by law until the last polling stations close at 1800 GMT (7 p.m. British time) as showing Sarkozy and Royal would go through.
Belgium's RTBF radio station said Sarkozy was slightly ahead in the first round.
(Excerpt) Read more at uk.reuters.com ...
Obviously, we do. Turkey is a member of NATO and has a strategic location, including being adjacent to Iraq. We also have some military bases there. It is also a Muslim country, which supplies the EU with workers. There are about 2.3 million Turks in Germany, including about 500,000 who have gained German citizenship.
Turkey is damned important.
The final official estimates reported by le Monde are below. The results will be certified on April 25.
The first polls out after the first round show Sarko winning against Royal 54-46. The polls this time around were very accurate predictors of the final results.
Sarkozy 30.42%
Royal 24.73%
Bayrou 18.33%
Le Pen 11.34%
Besancenot 4.38%
Villiers 2.55%
Buffet 1.9%
Voynet 1.56%
Nihous 1.53%
Laguiller 1.48%
Bove 1.4%
Schivardi .38%
Abstention 15.23%
Segolene Royal has already shown her hand.
Her site is now featuring a “Discover in 7 minutes the 7 pillars of the presidential pact”
The 7 Pillars of Islam anyone?
Abstention 15%
That is amazing, go to the polls just to vote for no one.
Only in France!
From GalliaWatch, a rightwing blog in the US
“According to the dissidents within the Front National, Jean-Marie Le Pen got exactly what he asked for - a low score as fourth. The new multi-culti look of the FN cost him many votes. They are now looking forward to building from scratch a new national movement, as Marine Le Pen takes over at the FN. They are calling on all nationalists to vote (holding their noses) for Ségolène Royal because, according to them, Sarkozy is the most anti-French candidate in history.”
A call to vote for Royal, the hard core Socialist? Makes no sense at all.
I think part of the reason that le Pen’s score was so low is his calling into question Sarko’s “Frenchness” because three of his grandparents were not French.
Probably holding out for either Jerry Lewis or Carl Marx.
I’d like to be on the FRENCH ELECTION UPDATE /ping list.
15% abstention is very low. Do you have any idea what percentage of US electorate actually votes?
I had no idea that this was 'non voters'....
I thought that this was a proactive vote that said 'abstain'... kinda like a write in.
I wonder what the basis is.... registered voters, potential voters, live breathing Frenchmen??
Thank you for your excellent coverage of the French election results, and please keep me on your ping list - the run-off will be fascinating!
You know, I am not sure whether it is registered voters or eligible voters. I think in France every citizen is eligible to vote.
You are very welcome.
I will try to keep FReepers informed as more information comes out. I try and post articles in English, and translate as best I can, the articles in French.
Royal's task looks difficult. Few french people leave room to change their mind. 88% of those questioned say their choice is final. 58% predict a Sarko victory . 1089 people questioned by phone after the polls closed.
Whom do I have to ping to get on the list?
Yes, and she also says she will cut the work week from 35 to 32 hours. It will be interesting to see just how much further these French Democrats will go in order to buy this election. French Democrats are exactly the same as American Democrats, so you can be assured there is no "bottom of the toilet" as far as they are concerned. Dirt and lies will fall like black snow.
On both sides of the Atlantic, Mr. Chirac’s political obituary is being written in distinctly unflattering terms...
But in all of this, he has been proved right. By standing up to Mr. Bush and instructing his representatives at the United Nations to block a rush to an unprovoked war, the French president saved both the honor of the United Nations and the credibility of the international community...
Mr. Sarkozy’s admiration and knowledge of the United States appear confined to its economic growth rate. He opposes Turkish membership in the European Union in the most intolerant terms: “If you let 100 million Turkish Muslims come in, what will come of it?” And his Gaullism is tainted by a weakness for rightist catchwords — “nation” and “identity,” not to mention “scum” when referring to rioting minority youths — with which he hopes to outflank Mr. Le Pen...
Many of Ms. Royal’s socialist supporters manage to be both anti-American and anti-European: a Royal presidency would thus probably weaken the European Union without in any way strengthening France’s trans-Atlantic leverage — a leftist mirror of the agenda of neoconservative strategists in Washington...
With the departure of Jacques Chirac, we are saying goodbye to the last semblance of statesmanship from a generation that remembered where an unraveled Europe could lead. I fear we shall miss him.
Don't read the whole thing.
Just some snippets into the mind of a New York professor.
French is trending right, that is the message. Germany already did. The left is pushing so hard and screaming so loud, they don't notice who they are alienating.
>>Mr. Sarkozy’s admiration and knowledge of the United States appear confined to its economic growth rate. He opposes Turkish membership in the European Union in the most intolerant terms: “If you let 100 million Turkish Muslims come in, what will come of it?” And his Gaullism is tainted by a weakness for rightist catchwords — “nation” and “identity,” not to mention “scum” when referring to rioting minority youths — with which he hopes to outflank Mr. Le Pen...<<
By Jove, I think he’s got it!
Paris is probably the most pro-Royal, followed by the mid-sized cities.
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