Apathy greets first round of French election

France went going to the polls today in the first round of a presidential contest notable for its lacklustre campaigning and widespread voter apathy.

France went to the polls today in the first round of a presidential contest notable for its lacklustre campaigning and widespread voter apathy.

A record number of candidates and lack of interest from voters is threatening to damage the prospects of rivals Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and President Jacques Chirac.

Polls have predicted that Jospin and Chirac would be the top finishers in the election’s first round, but both candidates may find they need to cut distasteful deals with political foes in order to win the second round of the presidential race on May 5.

Polls opened at 8am local time (7am Irish time). Official results are not expected until tomorrow morning.

Extremists have gained ground amid the voter apathy and one could emerge as a surprise power broker in the second round. Among them are Arlette Laguiller of the hard-left Worker’s Struggle and Jean-Marie Le Pen of the far-right National Front.

Coming from opposites of the political spectrum, Ms Laguiller and Mr Le Pen have been battling in the polls for third place.

Ms Laguiller has refused to endorse any other candidate in the run-off, and mainstream leftists are worried her supporters may refuse to vote on May 5 instead of supporting Jospin.

On the right, Mr Le Pen, who has 14% in recent polls, is no fan of the French president - he recently went on national television and called Mr Chirac ‘‘not only a thief but also a liar’’.

In the last election, in 1995, the Socialists chose Mr Jospin to oppose Mr Chirac only after five others had to drop out for different reasons. Mr Jospin ran well, losing a close race in the second round that drew 80% of voters.

But this time around, the electorate is bored and pollsters predict that up to one-third of them could stay away from the ballot box. Political scandals are partly to blame for the apathy, according to experts and opinion polls.

Corruption cases have tarnished Mr Chirac’s Rally for the Republic, or RPR, and Mr Jospin’s Socialists. Jospin, 64, himself has been tainted by revelations he flirted with Trotskyism in his youth and then lied about it.

Mr Chirac, 69, currently protected by presidential immunity, risks facing judicial officials should he lose the election. Investigating judges want to question him in several corruption scandals, some dating to his 1977-95 tenure as Paris mayor.

Another indication of the discontent with the front-runners is the number of candidates who sprang seemingly from nowhere and managed to get the obligatory 500 endorsements needed to run.