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 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.

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.

France’s presidential election would be too close to call if held today, according to two polls released today.

President Jacques Chirac, whose popularity has been steadily falling, now has the approval of only 21% of French voters, with more than seven French in 10 saying they did not have confidence in the head of state, according to a poll published today.

President Jacques Chirac today met his beleaguered prime minister, who was widely expected to be fired after France roundly rejected the European Union’s first constitution in a referendum that threw the Union’s future into disarray.