Voters unsure as France’s election campaign begins

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 twelve hopefuls have been sparring for months appearing regularly in the media and making campaign stops around France ahead of the first-round vote on April 22.

Polls show right-wing candidate Nicolas Sarkozy has a comfortable lead over his main rival, socialist Segolene Royal.

Interest in the campaign is high but the debate has jumped from one theme to another, leaving many voters overwhelmed and uncertain about who to chose.

Commentators say the media bombardment that started yesterday may just add to the confusion.

‘‘This big fog that is programmed on the airwaves will not help get rid of the record indecision that has marked the 2007 edition,’’ the left-leaning Liberation said in an editorial.

A recent poll said 42% of voters are undecided.

The candidates are allowed 45 minutes of spots, split between public television and radio to get their message across before April 20. They are also allowed to stick up posters on official boards in front of voting stations.

Sarkozy’s television spot showed him dressed in a suit and tie speaking in front of his campaign slogan ‘Together, everything is possible’.

The shot cut away to show him shaking hands with factory workers and the elderly, and he promised to improve schools, reduce unemployment and be tough on benefit fraud.

A CSA poll yesterday for Le Parisien newspaper said 59% of voters expect Sarkozy to be the next president compared to just 18% for Royal.

A second round will take place on May 6 between the two front runners, if, as expected, no candidate gets over 50% in the first round.

Royal’s campaign posters feature a close up photograph of her under the headline ‘‘change’’ and with her slogan ‘France rules’ which uses a play on words to indicate a female ruler.

She is lying in second place in surveys of voting intentions but her score has slipped as centrist candidate Francois Bayrou’s popularity has risen and as the debate focused on immigration and security, helping Sarkozy.