Focus on France as Voters Choose Next President

World | April 22, 2007, Sunday // 00:00

Voting opened on Sunday in France's first round of presidential elections as the country picks its next president to succeed Jacques Chirac after 12 years at the helm.

Final polls aired in the week showed four of the dozen candidates in the running had a realistic chance of making it to the run-offs on May 6, with close to 40% of the voters undecided.

Centre-right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy, the former finance and interior minister, running on a platform that focuses on reforming the floundering French social model, cutting taxes and pushing free-market reforms, is the front-runner.

Socialist candidate Segolene Royal is close on his heels, offering to reverse some of the reforms passed during Chirac's two terms in office, as well as raising the minimum wage.

The surprise third is Francois Bayrou, who is trying to break down the traditional bipolar model and bridge the divide between the neo-Gaullists and Socialists with a mix of the two.

Although less likely to make it to the run-offs than the two traditional candidates, according to the polls, he is the only one that could defeat either one if he makes it.

Far-right candidate Jean Marie Le Pen is running for president for a fifth time and still has strong support for his anti-immigration policies, but public opinion surveys suggest he is unlikely to enjoy the same success as last time around, when he made it to the run-offs only to be soundly beaten by the incumbent Chirac.

With the outcome of the election expected to usher in much-needed change, voter turnout is expected to be high.

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