- Title: Former president Sarkozy votes in French primary with hopes of comeback
- Date: 20th November 2016
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 20, 2016) (REUTERS) SARKOZY LEAVING WITH BRUNI-SARKOZY, GREETING SUPPORTER
- Embargoed: 5th December 2016 11:13
- Keywords: Sarkozy France election voting primary right conservatives
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA003598ZN7R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy voted on Sunday (November 20) in the first round of a tight primary to choose France's conservative presidential candidate.
Opinion polls indicate that the contest will be close with Sarkozy facing former prime ministers Alain Juppe and Francois Fillon, the latter seeing a last-minute surge in popularity over the past week.
The 61-year-old said he was "patient" when asked if he was feeling confident after he cast his vote at a polling station in Paris's sixteenth district.
"I'm in a good frame of mind, I think everything is well organised. I think we had an interesting campaign for the first round, without incident. It gives an honourable image of political life, a good democratic debate. Now we have to wait for the result of the first round, before the second," he said.
The second round between the two top-placed conservative candidates will take place on November 27.
Polls show the victor well placed to win the presidency in next spring's election against a resurgent far-right fronted by anti-immigration, eurosceptic leader Marine Le Pen. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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