Posted on 03/17/2012 12:43:35 AM PDT by Cincinna
With just over a month to go Friday before the first round of France's presidential vote, right-wing incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy is closing the gap with Socialist frontrunner Francois Hollande.
As polls showed Sarkozy cutting his rival's lead after several weeks of campaigning and a swerve to the right, Hollande was also facing a new threat on his left flank from firebrand Left Front candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon.
Keen to regain momentum, Hollande has made a series of promises aimed at cementing his left-wing credentials.
On Thursday, during a three-hour appearance on France 2 public television, he also vowed to boost taxes on the rich and to not back down on his plan for a 75 percent tax rate on incomes above €1M
Sarkozy, an experienced and aggressive campaigner, has stepped up his attacks and moved to consolidate his hold on the right with vows to be tough on immigration and threats to pull France from Europe's visa-free zone.
An opinion poll this week for the first time showed Sarkozy pulling slightly ahead of Hollande and the latest survey, an OpinionWay-Fiducial study released Friday, showed them equal with 27.5 percent support in the first round to be held on April 22.
The same poll showed Hollande still winning the second round on May 6 with 55 percent.
Hollande is also facing a new challenge from Melenchon, who represents a left-wing coalition including the Communists and has enjoyed a recent bump in the polls.
(Excerpt) Read more at france24.com ...
NE VOUS INQUIETEZ PAS....TROP
Thinks are definitely looking up for Sarko.
All the polls now show he has switched places with the Socialist, François Hollande, and is now trending up, while Hollande is trending down.
The good news for Sarko, and for all, is that Marine Le Pen has not been able to gain any ground, and has been on the decline for quite a while.
The bad news for Hollande is that far left firebrand aging bad boy, Jean-Luc Melanchon, with his fiery class warfare anti-capitalist rhetoric, has co-opted the Socialist and stolen his fire and his supporters.
It has been Sarko who has been setting the agenda for the election, with legal immigration, fiscal discipline, reduction in government workers, and his brilliant campaign slogan, La France Forte (A Strong France).
This is going to be an interesting election. Stay tuned!
Thank you for the heads up!
And unmasking those Arab ladies.
yitbos
Thanks Cincinna.
Here is the PARIS MATCH poll.
http://www.parismatch.com/Actu-Match/Presidentielle-2012/la-presidentielle-en-temps-reel.html
It is updated daily at noon EDT.
For those who do not read French, it is a graph, clearly marked with the candidate’s names and score over time.
Sarko is BLUE
Hollande is RED (what a surprise!)
There are also pictures of all the candidates, there will be ten running in the first round, and a second round poll, analysis, and preductions.
ENJOY!
Stay informed about the French elections in detail.
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