Sarkozy narrows gap with rival Francois Hollande

PanARMENIAN.Net - Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has closed the gap in voting intentions on his opposition Socialist rival Francois Hollande, just four months before they face off in an election, according to the first poll of the year.

The poll by the Ifop institute for the Journal du Dimanche newspaper forecast Mr Hollande would beat Mr Sarkozy 54 to 46 per cent in a head-to-head run-off - the closest margin between the two favourites in many months and two points closer than in the last Ifop poll in December.

Mr Sarkozy's supporters have begun privately boasting that the momentum in the race now favors the president, who has been slowly building support while his once dominant rival's campaign got off to a lacklustre start.

The president is not expected to officially declare his intention to run for a second five-year term until March, but no one doubts he will and his weekly agenda has long resembled a campaign program.

Mr Hollande, a former Socialist leader who has never held ministerial office, enjoyed strong public support during his party's primary season last year, but has made a slow start to the campaign proper, The Telegraph reported.

It is noteworthy that in the framework of his visit to Armenia Sarkozy called for Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Later, at President’s initiative, French MP Valerie Boyer put forward the bill criminalizing Armenian Genocide denial, which was passed by the French National Assembly on Dec. 22.

After adoption of the aforesaid bill, many noted backing pro-Armenian ideas as part of Sarkozy’s election campaign, given the fact that about 600 thous. Armenian reside in France.