Editorial
The French elections
Sarkozy and Royal represent a new generation
The French have just been through the first round of their presidential elections. The two front runners, the rightwing Nicolas Sarkozy and the socialist Segolene Royal, will now face each other at the second and final round of the polls in early May. With 31 percent of the votes, Sarkozy leads Royal, whose 26 per cent made it possible for her to edge past the centrist Francois Bayrou and get into second place. The biggest relief at this first round is the fact that the far right National Party's Jean-Marie Le Pen was held back at fourth place. At the last presidential elections, it was Le Pen who threw all France into a state of turmoil when he went past the Socialist Party's Lionel Jospin and got into second place, thus making the election a clear choice between him and Jacques Chirac. It was a terrible moment in modern French history. But when voters fell in line behind Chirac, democratic politics in France was saved. At this point, more than anything else, it is the eighteen per cent of the votes Mr. Bayrou garnered on Sunday that will be crucial for both Mr. Sarkozy and Ms. Royal. Bayrou has made it clear his supporters must be given the right reasons to back either of the two front runners, which means that the next few days will be spent in intense political animation. Sarkozy, who has served as interior minister in the Chirac government, has generally been portrayed as a man who could divide French society along political lines. It has especially been since his description of rioting immigrants as scum that Sarkozy's reputation has taken a beating. On the other hand, Segolene Royal's candidacy is a sign of the fresh new start France's socialists have decided to give themselves. Politically astute and personally charming, Royal is already being looked upon as the country's next president. The biggest reality about the French presidential elections this year is the generational change that clearly underlines the new circumstances. Both Sarkozy and Royal are a departure from the times dominated by Jacques Chirac and the likes of him. Whether they, or whoever becomes president of France, will be able to help the country tide over its many crises, and how soon, will be a real test of leadership.
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