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2/20/07

M&C; Bayrou who? - The man who makes Sarkozy and Royal tremble - Europe

Francois Bayrou
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Bayrou who? - The man who makes Sarkozy and Royal tremble

Paris - - His name is virtually unknown beyond the borders of mainland France, and at home he has been the butt of jokes regarding his inflated presidential ambitions (and modest popularity), but 2007 just may be Francois Bayrou's year.

A shock poll result has suddenly thrust the 55-year-old self- styled 'provincial' and gentleman farmer onto centre stage of the French presidential campaign. According to the survey, which was carried out February 13 to 15 by the IFOP institute, if Bayrou were to make it through to the second round of the presidential election he would beat both current front-runners, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, of the centre-right UMP party, and Socialist Segolene Royal.

Bayrou's primary hope appears to be that Royal continues to slip in the polls, which would bring him many anti-Sarkozy votes from the left. And this appears to be happening. As one UDF official has put it, 'For a certain number of Socialists, to vote for Bayrou seems to be the only means of stopping Sarkozy.'

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