THE REACTIONARY SEGOLENE GAINS ON CHANGE-AGENT SARKOZY

BELFAST TELEGRAPH:

SOCIALIST French presidential contender Ségolène Royal has narrowed the lead of conservative Nicolas Sarkozy ahead of next Sunday's run-off vote.

An Ipsos poll published yesterday showed Royal had edged up 0.5 percentage points to 47.5%, compared with Sarkozy's 52.5%.

... Royal yesterday wooed the middle-ground voters of failed candidate Francois Bayrou, crucial to her bid to become France's first woman president, while polls put Sarkozy ahead going into the run-off. As the heated campaign heads into a climactic final week, Royal is scrambling to woo Bayrou's seven million voters to her camp.

... Royal - who just weeks ago dismissed calls for an alliance with Bayrou and whose camp viewed Bayrou as a bigger threat than Sarkozy - repeatedly stressed yesterday the similarities between her vision for France and Bayrou's.

But Bayrou reminded her of their differences, in particular over her leftist economic programme. ... Still, by appearing on the same stage with Royal yesterday, Bayrou managed to indirectly support her while maintaining his political independence....

Royal is working to make the run-off a referendum on the character of the pugnacious and blunt former interior minister, whose platform of economic reforms and tough measures against crime and immigration - and often brutal language and attitude - scare many in the opposing camp.

SEGOLENE IS THE REACTIONARY IN THE RACE; HER STRONGEST SHOWING IS AMONG YOUNG LEFTISTS WHO DON'T WANT THEIR ENTITLEMENTS CHANGED.

THEREFORE, THIS CONTEST IS NOT A REFERENDUM ON SARKOZY, BUT A TEST OF THE FRENCH PEOPLE: IF THEY ARE MOSTLY COWARDS - AFRAID OF CHANGE, (AND AFRAID THEY WILL FAIL IN A MORE FREE MARKETPLACE), THEN THEY WILL ELECT SEGOLENE AND THE SOCIALISTS.