Low in polls, Sarkozy stakes all on campaign verve

Delivering thundering speeches in three cities that left him worked into a sweat aides had not seen in years, French President Nicolas Sarkozy showed in the first week of his re-election campaign that he has lost none of his oratorical power.

Yet mingling with the public in Lille, a northern city whose bleak backstreets betray its struggle to adapt to the decline of local heavy industry, Sarkozy's eyes flicker restlessly and he looks ill-at-ease, as if he can sense the hostile mood.

The conservative leader is betting on his legendary verve on the campaign trail as he goes into battle with the double handicap of poor poll ratings and the same anger over the sickly economy that has felled leaders across Europe.

For more: Low in polls, Sarkozy stakes all on campaign verve | Reuters