Socialist party rivals battle for French presidential nod

FRENCH Socialist leaders Francois Hollande and Martine Aubry — bitter rivals despite coming from the same wing of their party — face a tight battle for the right to run against Nicolas Sarkozy.

Hollande took the lead in the first round of primary voting, but at 39% to 31%, Aubry has a chance to outflank him on the left and grab the nomination in the run-off.

The stakes are high — opinion polls suggest either Socialist would beat the centre-right incumbent in next April’s presidential election — and the pair have a history of enmity despite their similar political outlooks.