Voting Sets Up Left-Right Duel to Lead France

from the NY Times
By ELAINE SCIOLINO
Published: April 23, 2007

PARIS, April 22 — Nicolas Sarkozy, the conservative, and Ségolène Royal, the Socialist, won the first round of the presidential election on Sunday, setting up a classic left-right contest next month between two candidates with competing visions of how to govern France.

Whoever is elected will also usher in a new generation of leadership: For the first time, France will have an elected president who did not come of age during World War II.

With more than 99 percent of the vote counted, Mr. Sarkozy was leading with about 30.7 percent of the vote, and Ms. Royal had about 25.2 percent. François Bayrou, the centrist who vowed to plot a new, conciliatory way of governing, came in a distant third with about 18.4 percent

A field of nine other candidates, including the far-right Jean-Marie Le Pen, who came in second in the first round in 2002, captured the remaining vote.

The balloting on Sunday was marked by high anxiety, sunny weather and an exceptionally high turnout.

for the full story, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/23/world/europe/23france.html?_r=1&n=Top%2fNews%2fWorld%2fCountries%20and%20Territories%2fFrance&oref=slogin

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