Early Results: Sarkozy, Socialist Candidate Headed for Runoff in French Prez Race
- Posted on April 22, 2012 at 2:32pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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PARIS (AP) — Socialist Francois Hollande and conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy are heading for a runoff in the race for France’s presidency, according to partial official results after a first round of voting Sunday.
Voters also handed a surprisingly strong third-place showing to anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim candidate Marine Le Pen, the partial results indicated.
The contest, to be resolved in the runoff May 6, could alter the European political landscape as the continent deals with a financial crisis.
Hollande was in the overall lead, amid widespread disappointment with Sarkozy’s first term and a sense that the incumbent favors the rich when the country is struggling with unemployment and bleak economic prospects.
With about 33 percent of the vote counted, Hollande had 27.5 percent of ballots cast and Sarkozy 26.6 percent, according to figures released by the Interior Ministry after final polls closed.
Le Pen, who has campaigned on anti-Islam rhetoric, was in third with 19.9 percent of the vote so far.
Le Pen, predicting a first-round surprise, said in an interview last week with The Associated Press that she would consider it a victory if she matched the first-round score of her father, National Front founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, in 2002. That year, he got nearly 16.8 percent of the vote and was propelled into the final round and a face-off with then-President Jacques Chirac.
Florian Philippot, strategic director of Le Pen’s campaign, called her score on Sunday a “very, very beautiful victory” with a long-term impact.
“I think tonight Marine Le Pen becomes chief of the opposition,” he said on BFM TV. “Nicolas Sarkozy is already gone.”
In fourth place was leftist firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon, followed by centrist Francois Bayrou and five other candidates with minimal support.
“Francois for President!” chanted Hollande supporters at a buoyant gathering outside his campaign headquarters in Paris’ Left Bank.
“We will win! We will win!” chanted Sarkozy fans across town.
Hollande’s score, “is very good. That’s a very good score in the first round, especially if you are not an incumbent,” said Socialist lawmaker and Hollande supporter Aurelie Filippetti.
Turnout was also surprisingly high.
The Interior Ministry said early turnout figures showed 70.6 percent of France’s 44-million-plus voters cast ballots before 5pm (1500GMT) – less than the 73.8 percent in 2007 at the same time, but more than in the four previous races.
Overall turnout in the 2007 first round was nearly 84 percent, the highest figure since the 1970s.
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ColoradoMaverick
Posted on April 23, 2012 at 7:31amThis won’t be the first time France allows itself to be taken over and destroyed.
Report Post »Brasil2520
Posted on April 23, 2012 at 3:18amMarine Le Pen the last hope for France to take back France for the Frence, they are doomed us Europeans also since once in Europe the “Islamization” problem flows to other contries.
Henri Fenet – a “Charlemagne” volunteer in the 33rd French Waffen SS – Waffen Grenadier Division
When asked how he felt about Europe losing the 1945 war, he said “Now I have only one regret I wished an earlier involvement”
With all the riots and crime in Europe today we are seeing this is what we get for losing the 1945 war. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecEeJ3Jke8c&feature=related
Report Post »trueamerican40
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 10:11pmEurope’s fate is SEALED…no Chalemagne to save them now…suits them right. Obamus Defeatus wants us to fall in line with these overinflated, near-bankrupt countries…treasonous!
Report Post »barber2
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 6:56pmAh, the French. Remember WWII ? Look at the difference today between the French and German economies. Ah, the French . Good in the kitchen. Bad in the halls of government . All of the Socialist policies which they have in place : early retirement; cushy benefits; restricting employers from firing people, etc. Now it looks like, in the midst of economic chaos, they are heading even farther Left. Keep all of the social benefits driving the economic spiral downward with the Left : Just tax the “ rich” at 75% Hollande or tax the rich at 100% Melenchon ! Yes. The French. They’re just living proof that Socialism does NOT work. Wish someone could convince our Big Brother Democrats.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 7:56pmIt’s more like their Religion… so they must be Converted!
Report Post »orlandojon
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 6:29pmThe French, they take 1 step forward and 2 steps back. If the socialists get back in power they will give the Islamo nuts more control again
Report Post »soybomb315
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 4:12pmIts interesting that in most free countries there are more than two political parties to choose from. USA is one of the few countries that have a two party system.
The benefits is that you could vote third party and not have to worry about “throwing your vote away” because if nobody gets >50%, then there is a run-off.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 4:27pmYes, but in the MultiParty System… over time… the difference become minute and issue driven… resulting in France, in all Socialist, fighting over Whom gets What!
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 6:26pmGet rid of “winner take all” and you would have three or more viable parties sooner than you can say “coalition government.”
Report Post »soybomb315
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 7:45pm@lukerw
Report Post »how is that any different than what we have going on in this country?
lukerw
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 8:09pm@SOY…
Report Post »The difference is Progressives… who are not die hard Socialists, who want to undo the Limits of the Constitution and Progress past it; who want to do good… are just people, but they are in Both Political Parties… so rather than dividing upon issues, they come together… alike Clinton’s NAFTA, which exported Jobs of the Middle Class, had bipartisan support.. as did Housing for the Poor! This is why many Consevatives want the Progressives out of the GOP… so Romney & Clinton, both Progressives, cannot be in both Parties!
soybomb315
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 8:44pmluke
so long as there is just republicans and democrats, neither will represent the constitution and the principles of the founders. I too hoped we would not get a progressive candidate but here we are. It is proof that the moderates outnumber us even in the republican party. Therefore, we should have more than just two parties in this country – that way we could pick a party more closely aligned with the constitution.
France is socialist because they have always been socialist. They are not socialist because they have more than two parties to choose from – that is just nonsense
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 9:28pm@SOY…
What the Founders put in place in the Two Party System… was Division. They did not want Bipartisanship! They want Congress to do Little or Nothing! They distrusted any form of Government… and did not want Laws created by a Federal Body! Our problem is that we screwed up their vision… by making the Stupid System actually Work… by having both Parties support many of the Same Issues and by making Leaders out of alike Thinkers. What is required is a Party of Constitution Support… and the best candidate is the GOP.,, but Businessmen no more think about the Constitution than do Socialists So, more Parties would not make this better… because they would support each other for a Share of Power (as in Europe)! Remember, the System is suppose to be Slow & Unproductive… and only Produce when a Majority of the people agree upon it… in order to prevent rash decisions (alike ObamaCare)! And, the only reason we have ObamaCare is that the Senators are now elected by Popular Vote, rather than appointed to represent their State.
As for the French, they went from Roman Governors, then to Kings; then to Emperors, where the people were always serfs and cannonfodder. And, it is only after WWII that the Communists arise in France, and it heads on a Socialist course. This Socialism is an absence of any True French Vision… for if anything, the French like to be Unique!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 9:41pmOh… and… America is the only Free Country… for the Socialist Countries of Europe do not offer Rights nor Freedoms… rather, Employment is required, as is payment into the HealthCare System, as is having your Papers on you, etc. They know where you are, your home, your work… and how to contact you in an hour or so. Living there is an interesting experience!
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 4:05pmCongratulations France! You are about to boot your Obama-liberal President Sarkozy for someone even FARTHER left!
Hey France…Got your Greek on?
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 4:20pmTheir Pendulum… is off kilter… and only takes tiny swings on the Left!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 4:01pmIn France they say… in the First Round, we vote with our Heart… in the Final Round, we vote with our Head!
Report Post »Zurich
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 2:54pmI only hope that Sarkozy and Obama will have something in common: one term Presidents.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 3:46pmDo not forget to add – treason trials, criminal trials and life in jail with the doors welded shut.
Report Post »vox_populi
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 6:51pmKeep dreaming, Snow.
Report Post »trueamerican40
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 2:46pmIf you google ‘French victories’ in war—reads back–“0 results”. France can start paying their debts off to the U.S. Department of the Treasury starting in January 2013…just DON’T start paying now–there’s a despot in there who throws away OUR money like toilet paper.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 3:13pmThe French won the American Revolution… without their Troops & WarShips, we would be Canadians!
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 3:40pmAlso the 100 Years’ War, the 30 Years’ War, the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (except of course the last one!), the War of Italian Unification, numerous colonial wars, and (with help) World War I, where most of the fighting in the West was on their soil. Let’s not forget all the wars they were smart enough to stay out of, such as Iraq. More interesting, do you judge nations solely on the basis of their ability to win wars?
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 3:59pmOh, and another thing. In many ways, the French invented the automobile and, if not the airplane, many of the basics of heavier-than-air aviation. Why else would our vocabulary include words like “chassis,“ ”garage,“ ”chauffeur,“ ”aileron,“ ”fuselage,“ ”empennage” and so on? French, all French.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 4:33pmIt has always bothered me… with about 2 Million people in the Colonies… and with the British Force at about 40 Thousand… Why did the people not just rise up and annihilate them?
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 4:38pm@LLOYD…
Report Post »William the Conqueror… was from Normandy… where the Norman Viking took on French Behavior and Language… and French became the Upper Class & Court Language in England… for hundreds of years… so French is combined into English. King Richard & John… only spoke French!
lukerw
Posted on April 22, 2012 at 2:38pmHow do you want your Socialist Government… Commie or Nazi?
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