Final candidates for 2012 French presidential election
<!–enpproperty http://www.china.org.cn/world/2012-05/06/content_25314206.htmwww.china.org.cnFrench people will cast their final vote on Sunday to choose the next president from two candidates with completely different styles, personalities and experiences.2012-05-06 16:06:24.0Final candidates for 2012 French presidential electioncandidates,french,election,presidentialFinal candidates for 2012 French presidential electionFinal candidates for 2012 French presidential election10077072221World/enpproperty–>
French people will cast their final vote on Sunday to choose the next president from two candidates with completely different styles, personalities and experiences.
Nicolas Sarkozy, incumbent president
Nicolas Sarkozy, 57, the incumbent president representing the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), the son of a Hungarian immigrant and a trained lawyer, had held many government posts before becoming the president in 2007.
Trailing his challenger in major opinion polls since mid April, Sarkozy became the first incumbent president in the history of the French Fifth Republic not to win the first round election on April 22.
If he loses in the second round runoff on May 6, he would be the first president not to be re-elected for a second term since Valery Giscard d’Estaing in 1981.
Although fighting hard to alter the disadvantageous situation, Sarkozy was unable to put up a game-changing performance during the only TV debate on Wednesday night with his Socialist opponent Francois Hollande, and failed to seek endorsement from the far-right and centrist whose votes he desperately needs.
Since his re-election campaign started in February, Sarkozy pledged to bring jobs to millions by improving training at a time when the country’s unemployment rate hit nearly 10 percent, and to listen more to French voters by calling referendums on reforms.
He said he would impose a minimum tax on profits of big listed companies to pocket billions of euros every year to help curtail government spending deficit.
The conservative politician also said he would lay out a “Buy European Act” within 12 months if re-elected, which obliges the state to consume domestically-produced goods.
Sarkozy warned to pull France out of the Schengen zone unless fellow member states strengthen controls on migrants, and vowed to reduce legal immigration to France from 180,000 to 100,000 annually.
Admirers see Sarkozy as dynamic and decisive. His performance for the six-month EU rotating presidency was remembered
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Posted by RobertButler
on May 6 2012. Filed under 2012 Presidential Campaign.
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