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PARIS (ABC/AP) April 22 – Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Segolene Royal appeared headed to a presidential runoff, according to preliminary results and pollsters’ projections, setting up a stark choice between one of France’s most intensely ambitious politicians and a liberal who would be the country’s first female leader.
Four polling agencies put Sarkozy ahead of Royal, and both of them in the May 6 runoff, eliminating the 10 other first-round candidates. A preliminary result from the Interior Ministry, based on a count of 12.5 million votes, had Sarkozy leading with 30 percent, followed by Royal with 24 percent.
AFPTV Photo
POLLING AGENCIES
Turnout was over 80 percent, the polling agencies said, nearing the record of 84.8 percent set for a first round in 1965. The intense interest testified to the high stakes for France and the personalities — inspiring for some, divisive for others — involved in an election that was wrapped in surprises and suspense.
Supporters of French socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal react shortly after the announcement of the preliminary official results of the election's first round. (AP Photo / Michel Spingler)
If the results confirm that, France will get its first president born after World War II after the May 6 final round. If she wins, Royal will become France’s first woman president.
Right until Sunday, France was kept guessing whether farmer’s son and lawmaker Francois Bayrou, who soared in opinion polls by promising a middle course between left and right, would best Royal or Sarkozy. But pollsters’ projections placed him third, with about 18 percent of the vote.
NO REPEAT FOR Le PEN
Many voters also were determined to avoid a repeat of the shame that they felt in 2002, when a record low turnout helped Jean-Marie Le Pen, an extreme-right nationalist with repeat convictions for anti-Semitic and racist comments, slip through into the runoff. Even voters on the left rallied around the conservative Chirac to keep Le Pen from power in that vote, and he was trounced.
On Sunday, many were determined not to make the same mistake. Pollsters placed Le Pen fourth, with around 11 percent of the vote. That would be his lowest score in all but one of his five election campaigns.
“If the French people didn’t learn the lesson from last time, then we really are jerks,” said Corinne Keuter, a 46-year-old secretary who lined up for a half-hour to vote for Royal in northwest Paris. She said she could not remember having waited so long to vote since Socialist Francois Mitterrand was elected in 1981.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
