You are in:
- Archives » 2007 » April 2007
And Then There Were Two
Nicolas Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal progress to second round of French elections
Polls have closed in the first round of France's presidential election and exit polls predict success for centre-right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Ségolène Royal.
Sarkozy won 29.6 percent of votes; Latest counts put Royal at 25.1 on a turnout of 85 percent, the highest for fifty years.
The much-discussed surge in support for centrist François Bayrou might have been blunted by the high turnout: He polled a respectable 18.7 percent, according to exit polls.
Veteran far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen won 11.5 percent - fewer than many pollsters expected and perhaps also due to the unprecedented numbers casting votes.
News in France is dominated by the "huge sigh of relief" from Socialist Party headquarters when news of Royal's vote came through.
Supporters of Nicolas Sarkozy will be relieved, too, that their candidate's vote held up: Members of high campaign team were quick to point out that in the four first round elections President Jacques Chirac has contested, he never won more than 21 percent of the vote.
The second round comes in two weeks.
