Friday May 11, 2012

French left set to win parliament vote - polls

PARIS (Reuters): The French left will trounce the conservative UMP party of outgoing President Nicolas Sarkozy in parliamentary elections next month after Francois Hollande won a presidential runoff vote at the weekend, two polls indicated on Friday.

Hollande's Socialists and other left-wing partner parties could together win 45-46 percent of the vote in the June 10 first round of the election, compared with about one-third for the UMP.

The left aims to build on its momentum after voters swept Hollande to victory on Sunday, bringing the Socialists back to government in Paris after a decade in opposition.

Pollsters CSA found that the Socialists would take 32 percent in the first round of the parliamentary election while allied Greens would get 4 percent and the Left Front 10 percent.

A BVA poll put the Socialists at 30 percent, the Greens 4.5 percent and the Left Front 10.5 percent. The CSA said the UMP would garner 33 percent and BVA 32.5 percent.

Sarkozy's defeat left the UMP limping into the parliamentary election, especially with the far-right National Front looking to scoop up voters on the right after a strong showing in the first round of the presidential election in April.

The UMP has ruled out any alliance with the National Front even though polls have shown a majority of its voters open to such a deal.

According to the CSA poll, the National Front could tally 12 percent in the parliamentary elections while the BVA put their score at 16 percent.

If candidates poll more than 12.5 percent in the first round, they move on to the June 17 runoff. Were candidates from the National Front, Left and UMP all to qualify, the ensuing three-way contest would be won with a simple majority.

The CSA poll was based on interviews with 1,000 people and the BVA survey included 1,160 respondents, and both were carried out on behalf of various French media.

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Friday May 11, 2012

French left set to win parliament vote - polls