PARIS (Reuters) – Voting started in mainland France on Sunday in an election that could make Nicolas Sarkozy the 11th European leader to be swept from office by the economic crisis and crown Francois Hollande as France’s first Socialist president in 17 years.

Buoyed by a tide of anger over Sarkozy’s inability to rein in rampant unemployment during his five-year term, Hollande was between four and eight points ahead in final opinion polls for a vote that could mean a shift in direction for Europe.

PARIS (Reuters) – Nicolas Sarkozy was headed for an election defeat on Sunday that could make him the 11th European leader to be swept from office by the economic crisis and crown Francois Hollande as France’s first Socialist president in 17 years.

Buoyed by a tide of anger over Sarkozy’s inability to rein in rampant unemployment during his five-year term, Hollande was between four and eight points ahead in final opinion polls for a vote that could mean a shift in direction for Europe.

PARIS (Reuters) – Nicolas Sarkozy was headed for an election defeat on Sunday that could make him the 11th European leader to be swept from office by the economic crisis and crown Francois Hollande as France’s first Socialist president in 17 years.

Buoyed by a tide of anger over Sarkozy’s inability to rein in rampant unemployment during his five-year term, Hollande was between four and eight points ahead in final opinion polls for a vote that could mean a shift in direction for Europe.

PARIS (Reuters) – Nicolas Sarkozy has vowed to quit politics if he loses the presidency on Sunday, but one of his closest advisers hinted that he is privately leaving the door open to rekindling his political career in opposition.

Sarkozy’s hopes of winning a second term were fading two days ahead of the runoff vote, as far-right and centrist leaders deserted him and he failed to land a knockout punch on Socialist rival Francois Hollande in a televised debate.

PARIS (Reuters) – President Nicolas Sarkozy’s chances of holding on to power were fading two days before France’s election runoff, with far-right and centrist leaders refusing to endorse him and his usually bland Socialist rival performing confidently in a TV debate.

Opinion polls suggested Sarkozy could squeeze Socialist challenger Francois Hollande’s lead down to around five percentage points from as much as 10 in the last few days.

PARIS (Reuters) – French President Nicolas Sarkozy made a last-ditch appeal to far-right voters on Thursday, saying they could be decisive in Sunday’s election runoff, after he failed to land a knockout blow in a debate with Socialist frontrunner Francois Hollande.

Wednesday’s three-hour televised duel, watched by 17.8 million people out of an electorate of 44.5 million, was billed as Sarkozy’s last opportunity to overturn a poll deficit of six to 10 points, drawing on his skills as an aggressive debater.

PARIS (Reuters) – President Nicolas Sarkozy faces defeat at the hands of Socialist Francois Hollande in a presidential runoff on Sunday, paving the way for a French push to temper austerity in stagnating euro zone economies with a new focus on growth.

A slight narrowing in latest opinion polls suggests Sarkozy may manage a closer finish than Hollande’s 6 to 10 point lead in the deciding vote, yet his failure to land a knockout punch in a televised debate may have doomed his re-election hopes.

PARIS (Reuters) – President Nicolas Sarkozy faces defeat at the hands of Socialist Francois Hollande in a presidential runoff on Sunday, paving the way for a French push to temper austerity in stagnating euro zone economies with a new focus on growth.

A slight narrowing in latest opinion polls suggests Sarkozy may manage a closer finish than Hollande’s 6 to 10 point lead in the deciding vote, yet his failure to land a knockout punch in a televised debate may have doomed his re-election hopes.

PARIS, May 3 (Reuters) – French President Nicolas Sarkozy
and Socialist Francois Hollande clashed repeatedly in their only
television debate but the conservative incumbent failed to land
a knockout blow to shake his challenger’s lead for Sunday’s
runoff.

Hollande, ahead in opinion polls by six to 10 points, seemed
calm and unflappable during the nearly three-hour debate on
Wednesday while Sarkozy, struggling to catch up with the
moderate social democrat, was often agitated and tense.

PARIS (Reuters) – A televised debate between France’s presidential rivals veered repeatedly into schoolyard bickering, with Socialist Francois Hollande mocking Nicolas Sarkozy for having no other defense than to keep calling him a liar.

Their body language in Wednesday’s late-night showdown also betrayed the rivals’ differing stress levels. Hollande, running well ahead in polls, was unflappable and poised while Sarkozy, battling to stave off defeat in Sunday’s runoff, seemed twitchy, agitated and on edge.