http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=127677&date=2012-04-24
French President NicolasSarkozy faces an uphill struggle in the second round of the presidential election, after coming second in Sunday's first vote, reports BBC.
He won 27.1pc of the vote, while his Socialist rival Francois Hollande took 28.6pc, the first time a sitting president has lost in the first round.
The two men will face each other in a second round of voting on 6 May.
Third-place Marine Le Pen took the largest share of the vote her far-right National Front has ever won, with 18pc.
The BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris says Mr Hollande's narrow victory in this round gives him crucial momentum ahead of the run-off in two weeks' time.
Analysts suggest Mr Sarkozy, leader of the ruling centre-right UMP, will now need to woo the far-right voters who backed Ms Le Pen if he is to hold on tothe presidency. But Mr Hollande remains the front runner.
Mr Sarkozy began reaching out to Ms Le Pen's voters on Monday, saying "there was this crisis vote that doubled from one election to another - an answer must be given to this crisis vote".
Around one in five people voted for the National Front candidate, including many young and working class voters, putting her ahead of seven other candidates.
The election has been dominated by economic issues, with voters concerned with sluggish growth and rising unemployment.
Ms Le Pen, who campaigned on a nationalist, anti-immigration platform, said she would wait until May Day next week to give her view on the second round.
She told jubilant supporters that the result was "only the start" and that the party was now "the only opposition" to the Left.
Opinion polls taken after voting on Sunday suggested that between 48 and 60% of Le Pen voters would switch to backing Mr Sarkozy in the second round. But pollsters also predict a large abstention rate in the second round.
The BBC's Europe editor Gavin Hewitt says the result revealed a dissatisfaction and restlessness in France, creating political volatility. The elites are despised, the economic future is feared and there is insecurity, he says.
Nearly a fifth of voters backed a party - the National Front - that wants to ditch the euro and return to the franc.
But polls suggest Mr Hollande will comfortably win the second round.
As the results came in, he said he was "best placed to become the next president of the republic" and that Mr Sarkozy had been punished by voters.
"The choice is simple, either continue policies that have failed with a divisive incumbent candidate or raise France up again with a new, unifying president," Mr Hollande said.
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In the first round of the presidential elections, with all the votes counted, Francois Hollande has secured 28.63 per cent of the total votes casted. The incumbent Nicholas Sarkozy is trailing behind his Socialist contender with 27.08 per cent of the vote.
First time a sitting president has lost in the first round. French President Nicolas Sarkozy confronts an overwhelming struggle in the second round of the presidential election, after coming second in Sunday's first vote. The two men will face each other in a second round of voting on 6 May. If Mr Sarkozy failed to change the minds of a considerable number of people, he will become the first sitting president to lose an election since 1981.
Marine le Pen the Far-right candidate has secured third place with 18.01 per cent of the vote, as per statistics released by the Interior Ministry.
Jean-Luc Melenchon the Left-wing hopeful has acquired about 11.13 per cent of the ballots. The remaining six candidates delivered mild single-digit results.
After the first round results were declared, Hollande in his hometown of Tulle delivered a speech to his cheering supporters. He said he has become a contestant of all the French people who desires to turn “a new page” in the history of France. He also vowed to cut the country’s debt, improve economic development, and bring together the people of France after the “troublesome” rule of Nicholas Sarkozy.
In the meantime, Sarkozy's supporters engrossed the defeat, Jean-Francois Cope the leader of the right-wing UMP, saying that in the coming round, when Nicolas Sarkozy we will be head-to-head against Francois Hollande, “the match will be different.”
The numbers of voters in the ballot has exceeded 80 per cent, regardless of fears that up to one third of the voters might pay no heed to the vote. For contrast, the first round of the 2007 French presidential election witnessed a record high turnout of 83.8 per cent.
With all the ballots now counted, keeping the opening first round results in mind, one can suggests that Hollande would also win by a small margin in a decisive battle.
According to the polls, Hollande is expected to succeed in the second round. But head-to-head run-off set for May 06 may bring some surprises with so many votes secured by the candidates who lag- behind in the first round.
French people have cast their votes at the polling stations to decide the future of France for the next five years, with the candidates themselves casting their votes during the early hours of the election on Sunday. Francois Hollande remarked as he cast his vote, this election will “weigh on the future of Europe”
Political analysts suggest Mr Sarkozy, leader of the ruling centre-right UMP, will now need to persuade the far-right voters who supports Ms Le Pen, if he is to hold on to the presidency. However Mr Hollande remains the front runner.
Mr Sarkozy started reaching out to Ms Le Pen's voters on Monday, by saying , "There was this crisis vote that doubled from one election to another - an answer must be given to this crisis vote".
FACTS RELATED TO SECOND ROUND OF POLLS:
· The election has been dominated by economic issues, with voters worried with lethargic growth and mounting unemployment.
· Post-election Opinion polls taken on Sunday indicates that between 48 and 60% of Le Pen voters would tilt towards Sarkozy in the second round.
· There is also predict that a large abstention rate in the second round.
ANALYSIS:
· There is one apparent favorite - Hollande. He has a support of votes on his left, and he has guaranteed to get them, more or less.
· On the hand, no one is dead sure that Le Pen voters will back Sarkozy in second round or not.
· Marine Le Pen has firm support, she has pulled off a major takeover - 6.3 million voters chose her.
· She has an obvious curiosity in Sarkozy losing. She wants his party to collapse and her party to then pick up some right-wingers from his party and become the main opposition to the Left.
· Leftist nominee Jean-Luc Melenchon, who was backed by the Communist Party, came fourth with almost 12 per cent has urged his supporters categorically to rally behind Mr Hollande in the run-off.
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy faces an uphill struggle in the second round of the presidential election, after coming second in Sunday's first vote.
He won only 27.1% of the vote, while his socialist rival Francois Hollande took 28.6%, the first time a sitting president has lost in first round.
The two men will face each other in a second round of voting on 6 May. Third-place Marine Le Pen took the largest share of the vote her far-right National Front has ever won with 18.1%.
The BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris says his narrow victory in this round gives Francois Hollande crucial momentum ahead of the run-off in two weeks' time.
Analysts suggest Mr Sarkozy will now need to appeal to the far-right voters who backed Ms Le Pen if he is to hold on to the presidency, but Mr Hollande remains the front runner.
Around one in five people voted for the National Front candidate, including many young and working class voters, putting her ahead of seven other candidates.
Debating debates
The poll has been dominated by economic issues, with voters concerned with sluggish growth and rising unemployment. After the results began to come in, Mr Hollande said he was "best placed to become the next president of the republic" and that Mr Sarkozy had been punished by voters.
"The choice is simple, either continue policies that have failed with a divisive incumbent candidate or raise France up again with a new, unifying president," Mr Hollande said.
It is the first time a French president running for re-election has failed to win the first round since the start of the Fifth Republic in 1958.
Mr Sarkozy - who has been in power since 2007 - said he understood "the anguish felt by the French" in a "fast-moving world".
He called for three debates during the two weeks to the second round - centring on the economy, social issues, and international relations.
Mr Hollande promptly rejected the idea. He told reporters that the traditional single debate ahead of the second round was sufficient, and that it should "last as long as necessary".
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy faces an uphill struggle in the second round of the presidential election, after coming second in Sunday’s first vote, the BBC informs. He won 27.1 pc of the vote, while his Socialist rival Francois Hollande took 28.6 pc, the first time a sitting president has lost in the first round. The two men will face each other in a second round of voting on 6 May. Third-place Marine Le Pen took the largest share of the vote her far-right National Front has ever won, with 18 pc. Analysts suggest Sarkozy, leader of the ruling centre-right UMP, will now need to woo the far-right voters who backed Le Pen if he is to hold on to the presidency. But Hollande remains the front runner. Sarkozy began reaching out to Le Pen’s voters on Monday, saying “there was this crisis vote that doubled from one election to another – an answer must be given to this crisis vote”. Around one in five people voted for the National Front candidate, including many young and working class voters, putting her ahead of seven other candidates. The election has been dominated by economic issues, with voters concerned with sluggish growth and rising unemployment. Le Pen, who campaigned on a nationalist, anti-immigration platform, said she would wait until May Day next week to give her view on the second round. She told jubilant supporters that the result was “only the start” and that the party was now “the only opposition” to the Left. Opinion polls taken after voting on Sunday suggested that between 48 and 60 pc of Le Pen voters would switch to backing Mr Sarkozy in the second round. But pollsters also predict a large abstention rate in the second round. The result revealed a dissatisfaction and restlessness in France, creating political volatility. The elites are despised, the economic future is feared and there is insecurity, he says. But polls suggest Hollande will comfortably win the second round. As the results came in, he said he was “best placed to become the next president of the republic” and that Mr Sarkozy had been punished by voters.“The choice is simple, either continue policies that have failed with a divisive incumbent candidate or raise France up again with a new, unifying president,” Hollande said. Sarkozy – in power since 2007 – said he understood “the anguish felt by the French” in a “fast-moving world”. He called for three debates during the two weeks to the second round – centring on the economy, social issues, and international relations. Hollande promptly rejected the idea. He told reporters that the traditional single debate ahead of the second round was sufficient, and that it should “last as long as necessary”.
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rench President Nicolas Sarkozy faces an uphill struggle in the second round of the presidential election, after coming second in Sunday's first vote.
Result
He won 27.1% of the vote, while his Socialist rival Francois Hollande took 28.6%, the first time a sitting president has lost in the first round.
The two men will face each other in a second round of voting on 6 May.
Third-place Marine Le Pen took the largest share of the vote her far-right National Front has ever won, with 18%.
Third-place Marine Le Pen took the largest share of the vote her far-right National Front has ever won, with 18%.
Reports say Mr Hollande's narrow victory in this round gives him crucial momentum ahead of the run-off in two weeks' time.
Analysts suggest Mr Sarkozy, leader of the ruling centre-right UMP, will now need to woo the far-right voters who backed Ms Le Pen if he is to hold on to the presidency. But Mr Hollande remains the front runner.
Mr Sarkozy began reaching out to Ms Le Pen's voters on Monday, saying "there was this crisis vote that doubled from one election to another - an answer must be given to this crisis vote".
The election
About one in five people voted for the National Front candidate, including many young and working class voters, putting her ahead of seven other candidates.
The election has been dominated by economic issues, with voters concerned with sluggish growth and rising unemployment.
Ms Le Pen, who campaigned on a nationalist, anti-immigration platform, said she would wait until May Day next week to give her view on the second round.
Ms Le Pen, who campaigned on a nationalist, anti-immigration platform, said she would wait until May Day next week to give her view on the second round.
She told jubilant supporters that the result was "only the start" and that the party was now t"the only opposition" o the Left.
Opinion polls taken after voting on Sunday suggested that between 48 and 60% of Le Pen voters would switch to backing Mr Sarkozy in the second round.
But pollsters also predict a large abstention rate in the second round.
Nearly a fifth of voters backed a party - the National Front - that wants to ditch the euro and return to the franc.
But polls suggest Mr Hollande will comfortably win the second round.
As the results came in, he said he was "best placed to become the next president of the republic" and that Mr Sarkozy had been punished by voters.
It is the first time a French president running for re-election has failed to win the first round since the start of the Fifth Republic in 1958.
As the results came in, he said he was "best placed to become the next president of the republic" and that Mr Sarkozy had been punished by voters.
It is the first time a French president running for re-election has failed to win the first round since the start of the Fifth Republic in 1958.
Mr Sarkozy who came into power since 2007 said he understood "the anguish felt by the French" in a "fast-moving world".
He called for three debates during the two weeks to the second round - centring on the economy, social issues, and international relations.
Mr Hollande promptly rejected the idea. He told reporters that the traditional single debate ahead of the second round was sufficient, and that it should "last as long as necessary".
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy has lost the first round of the French presidential election, the British Broadcasting Corporation reports.
French Socialist Francois Hollande won most votes in the first round of the election, early results showed.
Hollande got more than 28 per cent of votes against about 26 per cent for centre-right incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy.
The two men will face each other in a second round on May 6.
Sarkozy said it had been a “crisis vote” and called for three presidential debates before the run-off. The poll has been dominated by economic worries.
Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen came third with about 19 per cent of the vote, ahead of seven other candidates.
Afterwards, Hollande said he was “best placed to become the next president of the republic” and that Sarkozy had been punished by voters.
It is the first time a French president running for re-election has failed to win the first round since the start of the Fifth Republic in 1958.
Sarkozy – who has been in power since 2007 – said he understood “the anguish felt by the French” in a “fast-moving world”.
He called for three debates during the two weeks to the second round – centring on the economy, social issues, and international relations.
He said he felt confident ahead of the run-off and called on French people to rally behind him.
Turnout on Sunday was high, with more than 80 per cent .
Ms Le Pen, who leads the anti-immigration National Front, achieved more than the breakthrough score polled in 2002 by her father and predecessor, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who got through to the second round with more than 16 per cent.
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