Sarkozy holds narrow poll lead in France

France's presidential race headed into its final week today with conservative former Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy holding a narrow but enduring lead over socialist candidate Segolene Royal.

Sarkozy garnered 52.5% and Royal 47.5% of support among 1,367 registered voters polled by the Ipsos agency Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Royal, who would be France's first woman president, has been trailing Sarkozy in nearly every poll this year. In an April 22 primary, they were the only two candidates of 12 to qualify for the decisive runoff next Sunday.

The French are eager for change and looking for improved economic fortunes after 12 years under President Jacques Chirac. The 84% turnout for the first round was the highest of its kind in decades.

Royal sought to regain some momentum on Saturday by holding a televised debate with Francois Bayrou, a centre-right candidate who placed a strong third in the election's first round. The 6.8 million voters who supported him have become pivotal to her hopes of beating Sarkozy.

Sarkozy has lashed out at Royal and Bayrou over their unprecedented debate, and in an interview published today said their face-off fostered "confusion".

"Let's return to Earth! Francois Bayrou didn't qualify for the second round," Sarkozy was quoted as saying in an interview published in Journal du Dimanche weekly.

Some far-left supporters of Royal criticised her for reaching across the political divide and meeting with Bayrou, who served in a conservative Cabinet in the early 1990s, along with Sarkozy.

Several lawmakers from Bayrou's party have endorsed Sarkozy.

One political analyst said Royal needed to take a chance on the debate with Bayrou as a way to gain new momentum - and she may have succeeded.

"In my opinion, people are going to be talking about this event for the next four or five days," said Dominique Reynie, of the elite Institute of Political Sciences in Paris.

It was too early to tell whether the meeting might translate into a boost for Royal in the polls.

"Despite it all, she has the upper hand at the moment," said Reynie, who two weeks ago said Royal appeared to be losing. "My view today is she's the one who's rather transcending herself, and he (Sarkozy) is looking for the best way to express his ideas."