French Socialists have selected Segolene Royal to be their presidential candidate. She will most likely face Nicolas Sarkozy as opponent from the conservatives. Madame Royal received over 60% of the vote, making a second round unnecessary. The other two Socialist presidential candidates were Mr Strauss-Kahn who took 20.8%, and Mr Fabius with 18.5% of the votes. Both are political heavyweights, which might actually work against them as many in French have lost trust in the conventional old politicians. If the French population pick Segolene Royal to be their head of state, she would be the first woman president in France. The Germans picked Angela Merkel as their chancellor not long ago, and in the US many believe Condoleeza Rice and Hillary Clinton will be fighting for the White House. 3 important world powers (Germany, France, and the US) presented by women would be an interesting situation, though I am probably getting ahead of myself. Miss Royal is a mother-of-four and current head of the regional Poitou-Charente region council. Her Socialist rivals have constantly attacked her lack of foreign policy credentials. The French people will be voting for a president on 22 April 2007.
French Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal has promised to embody change if she becomes France’s first female head of state.
Ms Royal, 53, described her win over two rivals in a ballot of party members as “extraordinary”, and said she wanted to write a new page in French history.
She won with more than 60% of the vote, avoiding a second round.
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