Unease is growing in French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s centre-right UMP party a week before a presidential election over his lurch to the right in pursuit of supporters of anti-immigration candidate Marine Le Pen.

IN setting a record score for the far right in Sunday’s French presidential election, Marine Le Pen has set the stage for her National Front to try and break into parliament at a legislative election in June.

Francois Hollande, a mild-mannered French Socialist who wants to take better care of the jobless and the poor, is heading to a presidential run-off election against tough-on-immigration Nicolas Sarkozy in a vote that could alter Europe’s political and economic landscape.

Socialist challenger Francois Hollande stamped his authority on the French presidential race yesterday, beating Nicolas Sarkozy in the first round of polling in which the far right also made major gains.

Socialist Francois Hollande and conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy are heading for a run-off in the race for France’s presidency, according to partial official results after a first round of voting today.

Centre-right French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s career was on the line today as voters turned out in solid numbers for the first round of France’s presidential election, a contest that could shake-up Europe’s political landscape and approach to myriad economic troubles.

Voting has begun in France as President Nicolas Sarkozy bids for re-election, with polls showing that many people are dissatisfied with his response to concerns about the economy and jobs.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy was gaining on his Socialist rival after officially announcing his re-election bid last week, but still faces a tough challenge, a poll indicated.

FACING a tough election fight in four months, French President Nicolas Sarkozy kicked off the new year warning voters 2012 was full of risks and that France’s future will hang in the balance.

IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been charged with attempting to rape a New York hotel maid, in a scandal that upends his plans to run for president of France and throws leadership of the global lender into turmoil at the height of the European debt crisis.

AFTER weeks of turmoil over a political donations scandal, French President Nicolas Sarkozy will make a rare summer address to the nation today, before a key pension reform is presented to the cabinet tomorrow.

President Nicolas Sarkozy suffered a national beating by voters who took their frustrations over the economic crisis to the ballot box and clearly favoured his leftist challengers in regional elections.

PÁDRAIG Harrington has labelled as “galling” the French side’s controversial “dirty handball goal” victory celebration over Ireland.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, aiming to push through his reform-driven renaissance of the country, looked set to win a powerful majority as the French voted in today’s run-off elections for parliament. The only question was the size of the victory – large or massive.

Socialists and other losers in France’s first round of parliamentary elections sought to limit the damage today by chasing alliances and rallying voters.

Fresh off a whirlwind yachting break, French president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy returned to work with a meeting due today with Tony Blair.

FRANCE’S next president, Nicolas Sarkozy, will have to wait until after the parliamentary elections in six weeks’ time before he knows if he can introduce the changes he has promised the country.

Presidential front-runner Nicolas Sarkozy said months of campaigning had made him think of France as a person, while rival Segolene Royal called herself a free woman and said election victory was within reach.

Presidential hopefuls Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royal tonight urged their supporters to make a final push before voters go the polls on Sunday.

Centrist voters who hold the key to this weekend’s French presidential elections prefer Socialist Segolene Royal over conservative Nicolas Sarkozy - but not enough to cut into Mr Sarkozy’s lead, according to the latest poll.

France's presidential race headed into its final week today with conservative former Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy holding a narrow but enduring lead over socialist candidate Segolene Royal.

FRENCH centrist Francois Bayrou, whose voters hold the key to next month’s presidential election, accused front-runner Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday of subverting free speech by stifling a televised debate with a rival.

The battle between French conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Segolene Royal heated up today as their camps tried tactics to woo voters in the political centre – the key decision-makers in the presidential race.

Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royal face a run-off for France’s presidency, giving voters a clear choice between a conservative who could push his anxious nation towards painful change, and a socialist who would be the country’s first female leader.

Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Segolene Royal advanced to a run-off for the French presidency today offering voters a stark choice of left or right for a nation eager for new direction.

French citizens voted en masse today to choose a new president, in a suspense-filled election that could be a turning point for France as it tries to steer a course into the 21st century.

Tomorrow sees the start of the most fascinating French presidential election in decades, reports Europe Correspondent, Ann Cahill.

THE EU Constitution has been put on hold awaiting the outcome of the French presidential election but the four main candidates have been careful to avoid any major debate with the public on the issue.

A poll published on the final day of French presidential campaigning before Sunday's vote indicated that conservative Nicolas Sarkozy was in the lead, poised to beat Socialist Segolene Royal.

FRANCE’S presidential candidates made their final pushes for votes as polls yesterday pointed to a cliffhanger among the top four hopefuls, led by conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist Segolene Royal.

Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy still the front-runner as France's volatile presidential race sped into its last week today.

A Socialist former French prime minister is urging Nicolas Sarkozy’s major rivals to unite in a nearly unthinkable alliance to keep the front-running conservative party candidate out of the Elysee Palace.

Extreme-right presidential candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen today stepped up his criticism of the European Union and its symbols, calling the euro “the currency of occupation” in France.

FRANCE’S presidential election campaign officially began yesterday with candidates unveiling television and radio spots to try and win over the vast army of undecided voters.

The French presidential campaign entered its final phase today with a series of carefully choreographed TV and radio spots by candidates.

French voters woke up to very different airwaves today as the race for next month’s presidential elections formally took off and each of the 12 candidates was granted equal broadcast time.

French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy lengthened his lead over his chief two rivals, according to a poll released today, as all three sought to broaden their electoral base in the volatile race.

Presidential hopefuls raced against deadline of this evening to gather and file the 500 endorsements they need to run for France’s highest office.

French President Jacques Chirac has announced he is to leave politics.

French President Jacques Chirac will address the nation on Sunday evening in a speech in which he is likely to announce he will not stand for re-election next month.

A new opinion poll suggests centre-right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy would beat Socialist contender Segolene Royal in a likely second-round vote in France’s presidential election in three months’ time.

Prime minister Dominique de Villepin today faced a no-confidence vote filed by opposition politicians who contend that a dirty tricks scandal dominating French political life for weeks has discredited the government.

Calls of back-stabbing and betrayal further soured the political atmosphere of France, already heavy with dirty tricks allegations, after the centrist leader’s decision to vote for a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.

President Jacques Chirac, juggling the demands of outraged students, frustrated MPs and his loyal premier, must make a key decision today on how to handle a controversial youth employment law to pull France out of crisis.