Royal seeks to unite left after clear party victory

SEGOLENE ROYAL, who overwhelmingly won the backing of the main opposition Socialist Party in her bid to become France’s first female president, called on the country yesterday to work together for deep changes to overcome its malaise.

Ms Royal’s victory on Thursday sets the stage for a likely showdown in April against the conservative front-runner, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy.

A 53-year-old mother of four, Ms Royal distinguishes herself from typically lofty French politicians with catchphrases such as “participative democracy” and “collective intelligence” that put faith in ordinary people.

After winning the Socialist nomination, Ms Royal sought to unite the French left in general.

“Tomorrow, I’ll have the job of bringing them all together — including those who didn’t vote for me,” she said.

Ms Royal and her challengers faced off in six debates, three of them televised nationally.

By the final tally, Ms

Royal had about 60% of votes, while former Finance Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn won 20% and former Prime Minister Laurent Fabius gained 18%, officials said.

After more than a decade under conservative President Jacques Chirac, France is craving change — especially after recent riots by poor teenagers and by university students.