Sarkozy and Hollande in TV debate

Nicolas Sarkozy will make a last-ditch bid tonight to turn the tide against his rival Francois Hollande when they go head-to-head in the French presidential election's only television debate.

Sarkozy is expected to use the debate to portray his front-running rival as a dangerous left-winger, whose tax-and-spend policies signal a return to 1970s socialism that will doom the already struggling French economy.

He is generally seen as a better debater than Hollande, but few expect him to be able to reverse the opinion polls that forecast the Socialist will win Sunday's second round vote by around 54% to his 46%.