Royal, Sarkozy and Bayrou: The policies

WHERE THE CANDIDATES STAND   Segolene Royal Nicolas Sarkozy Francois Bayrou Socialist regional premier of Poitou-Charentes, 53, has a 100-point plan she would implement if elected France's first female head of state Ex-interior minister and leader of centre-right UMP, 52, sharply divides opinion in France, but is regarded as a formidable challenger Leader of small UDF centre-right party, part-time farmer, 55, wants to bridge "prehistoric" left-right divide. Opposes UMP on important issues Salaries, Benefits and Pensions - Minimum wage up 250 euros to 1,500 euros ($2,000)/month - Basic state pension to rise by 5% - 90% of salary for year after losing job - No tax and social security charges on overtime over 35 hrs - Workers retire when they want - No benefits for those rejecting work - Cut labour charges, tax breaks on two jobs in every firm - Choice to retire via point system - "Universal activity": everyone contributes International affairs - Renegotiated EU treaty put to referendum -Create Eurozone govt, promoting economic growth and common tax levels - New EU-led Middle East peace initiative - "Mini"-EU treaty put to French parliament - France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus to form "Mediterranean Union" - Oppose Turkey's EU membership - New short EU text to be voted on by referendum - "Multi-circle EU": political Europe, including Eurozone, within legal Europe - Keep Turkey out, Mediterranean Union Housing - 120,000 council homes a year; councils claim homes empty for two years - Private rent cap and lifelong guarantee of housing - Provide assistance for those who want to buy their council homes - No person forced to sleep rough within two years of election - Legal right to housing, offer social housing to all those on benefits - All building projects to include 25% of social housing Energy, Environment and Agriculture - Cut dependence on nuclear power - 20% of energy from renewables by 2020 - Reform EU farming subsidies to favour environment and smaller farmers - Promote nuclear power as clean energy source - Increase amount of tax on pollution - Simplify EU farming subsidies and link to actual market prices - Maintain nuclear energy - Reduce energy consumption by 25% by 2020 - Guarantee prices for farmers through market openings Economy and taxes - No rise in general taxation - Lower burden on firms creating jobs - "Consolidate" 35-hour week - Taxes cut by four percentage points - Up to 95% exempt from inheritance tax - Right to work more than 35 hours a week - Cut public deficit rather than taxes - Simplify the tax system - Keep 35-hour week, pay overtime Immigration, Law and Order - Residency papers if criteria such as job contract and time in France are met - Military-style training camps for young offenders - Cut illegal immigration and have policy favouring qualified workers - Minimum terms for repeat offenders and tougher on juveniles - Curb illegal migrants & workers, actively integrate legal migrants - Community service for juveniles of 3, 6 or 12 months How to pay for it - Financed by 2.5% economic growth per year for five years - Cut civil service costs, which account for 45% of budget - Cut in exemptions to labour charges

Poll: Nearly half of French voters undecided

PARIS, France (Reuters) -- Right-wing presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy has extended his lead over his main rival, Socialist Segolene Royal, but a poll on Sunday showed nearly half of French voters were undecided over who to back.

With just two weeks to the first round of the presidential election, the CSA poll for Le Parisien newspaper said 42 percent were unsure which way to vote.

The number is slightly higher than before previous presidential ballots and highlights the unpredictable nature of this election.

"People are hesitating more and more between the candidates and will decide at the last moment," said Roland Cayrol, director of the CSA institute.

Although election sparring has been going on for months, Monday marks the official start of the campaign when candidates unveil media spots and stick up posters.

Sarkozy has consistently led opinion polls and has picked up a few points over his main rivals in recent days.

The tough former interior minister has benefited from a renewed focus on immigration and security issues and violence between youths and police at a Paris rail station.

An IFOP survey for Journal du Dimanche newspaper on Sunday gave Sarkozy 29.5 points in the first round vote on April 22, a three and a half point rise from the previous IFOP poll.

Royal's first round position dropped three points to 22 and the survey showed that Sarkozy would comfortably beat her with 54 points to 46 in the second round on May 6.

Royal's campaign has been struggling, with members of her party complaining she lacks a clear strategy.

She angered some Socialists last week with a plan to encourage small firms to hire school leavers, while rivals called it costly and unrealistic.

Political attacks

Sensing the election is wide open, the third and fourth placed candidates have stepped up attacks on the poll leaders.

Centrist Francois Bayrou, in third place, has sought to take advantage of Royal's weaknesses by talking about social issues and he has tried to win right-wing votes by criticizing Sarkozy.

The former education minister has portrayed himself as an alternative to the pair and has climbed steadily in the polls since the beginning of the year.

Bayrou says he will be in the second round and polls show he would beat Sarkozy if they are both in the May 6 runoff.

"I am the only one who can create a stable majority for France," Bayrou said on Canal Plus television.

Far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, who shocked France by finishing second in 2002, says he will also be in the second round and has reserved a convention center for that evening.

The 78-year-old is in fourth place but polls show his support has risen in the last week, boosted by the Gare du Nord train station clashes and concerns about immigration and security.

He says a chunk of the undecided vote is his because people are embarrassed to tell pollsters they back the far-right.

"A large part of my voters are hidden among the people who say they will vote for Nicolas Sarkozy," Le Pen said on TV5 on Sunday evening.

Le Pen said Sarkozy, the son of a Hungarian nobleman and a mother of Greek Jewish origin, was the candidate "from immigration."

"I'm the candidate of the native soil. There's a difference, a choice that could be considered fundamental by some French people," Le Pen told the television station.

The party of Sarkozy's closest rival, Socialist Segolene Royal, sprang to his defense in a statement.

"These comments are unacceptable and amount to the xenophobia that is regularly expressed by this man of the extreme-right," Socialist spokesman Faouzi Lamdaoui said.

*2007년 4월 17일 현재 여당 후보 사르코치 후보 29.5%이고 야당 로야르 후보 22%이다

그러나 오직도 과반수 이상이 유동표이며 두 후보 중 최종 결정자는 미지수이다 사회당 로야르 후보가 승리하기 위해서는 집권당 우파정당 장기집권에 대한 실정 공격이 있어야 하며 좌파적 우파논리로 나가야 한다

사회당은 자본주의를 인정하기 때문에 공산당과 차별화를 해야 하며 국가사회주의 이론과도 차별화를 해야 한다

그래야 프랑스 오랜 진보진영의 지지를 받을 수 있다

사회당이 국가사회주의나 공산주의 이론으로 나아갈때 중도세력 자유주의자와 사회주의자들이 지지를 하지 않을 것이다