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NARR:
Sohini Gogel is a reporter for a US-based, French-language newspaper. She writes about political and economic issues regularly. She says that, in the race to succeed President Jacques Chirac, there is no clear leader.
ACT1 (00:19):
There are 12 candidates and 4 major ones. The extreme right wing is Jean-Marie Le Pen, and then there is the right-wing candidate, which is Nicolas Sarkozy, then there is the center, which is represented by Francois Bayrou, and then on the left side there is Segolene Royal.
NARR:
Right now, most polls indicate that the election is too close to call.
Sohini Gogel, and her friends, David Angel and Marie-Adelaide Mol all want to see major changes in France. To the country's immigration, environmental, and tax policies, particularly.
But, Mol says, they're not too optimistic that they'll see changes anytime soon.
ACT2 (00:10):
The French want change, but when anybody tries to bring that change, the French will actually make everything in order to prevent that change from happening.
NARR:
There's a lot of gamesmanship to French politics. David Angel, who studies math at N-Y-U, where he's a graduate student, says it's like a soccer match.
ACT3 (00:15):
It seems to me that French politics is extremely similar to sports. It seems to me it won't impact my life, but it's like so pleasing to watch and discuss about.... It's the same thing, you see?
NARR:
The "game" should get more exciting this week. The "official" campaign started on Monday, with a blitz of interviews, debates, and T-V and radio spots.
Marie-Adelaide Mol, who grew up in Paris, says that, of all the candidates, Segolene Royal, has attracted the most attention. Mostly because she's a woman. France has never had a female president.
ACT4 (00:17):
I think that a lot of people in France feel that she has manipulated the media a lot, because she's a woman, and so she's victimized herself to a certain extent. And some people seem to be upset about that.
NARR:
Mol is one of those people. She says that Royal, who is the socialist party candidate for president, is from the caviar left. What Americans would call "a Lexus liberal." Someone who is wealthy, but claims to care for, and understand, the lower and middle classes. Her critics say she has been too focused on her image and domestic issues, and that she doesn't know enough about foreign affairs and fiscal policy.
Mol says that, with the election only nine days away, she still doesn't know which candidate she'll support. A new poll, from the C-S-A- polling institute, shows that she's not alone: among voters under the age of thirty, fifty-six percent are undecided.
David Angel thinks that he'll probably cast a ballot for a candidate from the center or right on the political spectrum.
ACT5 (00:11)
I'm willing to vote for Nicolas Sarcozy who does seem to have pretty active decision making regarding economy positions.
NARR:
Sarcozy has lost some of the popular support he enjoyed early-on. Polls show that many French think he should be more critical of the Bush administration.
After the election, on April 22nd, the top two candidates will advance to a second round, scheduled for May 6th.
SOC:
I'm David Gura, Columbia Radio News.