Poll: France's Sarkozy seen as defeated 04/01/2007 00:00

PARIS, Jan 3, 2007 (AFP) - Segolene Royal, the Socialist aiming to become France's first woman president, would beat conservative frontrunner Nicolas Sarkozy, in the second round of presidential elections later this year, according to a new poll.

The poll, carried out by telephone on Wednesday among 891 registered voters aged at least 18, showed Royal slipping by one percentage point to 52 percent and Sarkozy picking up one point to 48 percent compared with a CSA institute poll in late November.

Twenty-six percent of respondents said they would abstain in the election or spoil their vote.

The Socialist candidate was also seen as the frontrunner for the first round, with 34 percent of the votes, up three points, ahead of Sarkozy with 32 percent, up two points.

Far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, who made it to the runoff vote in the 2002 presidential election, was credited with 15 percent of the votes, down one point.

France votes on April 22 and May 6 to find a successor to incumbent Jacques Chirac, who has not ruled himself out of running for an unlikely third term.

Copyright AFP

Subject: French news