Presidential contenders Royal and Sarkozy in TV debate clash
The two candidates to be France’s next president faced each other tonight in their first televised debate of the campaign before the weekend vote, and sparks flew almost from the start.
Segolene Royal, struggling in her quest to become France’s first woman president, immediately went on the offensive, criticising Nicolas Sarkozy’s record as a minister in President Jacques Chirac’s government before he became a candidate for the presidency.
Sarkozy, leading in the polls and looking to get through the debate unscathed, was scrupulously polite and did not rise to Royal’s baiting.
He addressed her as 'Madame' and, after she repeatedly interrupted him in a discussion about policing and crime, said, "Will you let me reply?"
The live duel by two dynamic and very different candidates could draw more than 20 million viewers in a nation re-energised by its hunger for change after 12 years under Chirac.
"It’s the culmination point of the campaign," former President Valery Giscard d’Estaing, who supports Sarkozy, said.
The debate would be "decisive", he said, and credited his own performance in a debate with Socialist Francois Mitterrand for his victory in 1974. Mitterrand won the presidency the next time around, in 1981.
Sarkozy and Royal were the last two candidates standing after the April 22 first round in which Sarkozy won 31.2% and Royal 25.9%, with 10 rival candidates across the political spectrum taking up the remainder.
Royal’s underdog bid has gathered some momentum recently.
She outdid Sarkozy yesterday with a larger rally in Paris than one he had over the weekend.
Far-right nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was fourth with four million votes in the first round, has urged his supporters to abstain on Sunday. Polls show his voters were more likely to back Sarkozy than Royal, and it could cut into Sarkozy’s support if they stay home.
Sarkozy, who has held a lead in the polls since January, sought to calm speculation before the showdown that it could be decisive.
"I don’t think the French choose a president on the lone impression that they’ll have after a two-hour debate," he said before the television appearance.
