FRENCH PRESIDENTIALS: BEFORE THE SHORT LIST

Early in January there were more than 40 people who had indicated they would enter the Election for the Presidency of France.  As expected then, only about 10 candidates will take part in the first round of voting if they have the 500 sponsors needed and they have been accepted by the Constitutional Council.


The official Short List will be published on March 22.  Of course this does not mean that campaigning has not already begun.  It is in full swing and nerves are getting frayed !!!  Opinion Polls of about 950 people via the Internet or the Telephone are frequently made public. For the presidential elections 2002, there were 293 opinion polls...   


The 12 potential candidates are:


                                                                 OPINION 
                                                                 POLLS  %


     SARKOZY (President's Party)                  27 %
     HOLLANDE (Socialist)                             28
     BAYROU  (Democrat)                              11
     JOLY  (Greens)                                        3
    
    CHEMINADE  (Solidarity)                under  1 %
    ARTHAUD  (Workers)                        "       1
   * DUPONT-AIGNON (Republican)        "       1
    *POUTOU (Anticapitaliste)                 "       1


   *LE PEN  (National Front)                        18 %
     MELENCHON  (Left Front)                       8
   *LEPAGE  (Greens center party)    under 1
   *de VILLEPIN  (Republican)                "     1


* = Have not yet announced that they have 500 sponsors.




Before the 22th of March, some of these " small candidates"  may retire from the competition and ask their potential electors to vote for one of the leading candidates.