Sarkozy's French Dream

PARIS, April 23, 2007 — -- As the news came that he had gained first place in the first round of the French presidential election Sunday, conservative candidate Nicolas Sarkozy climbed onto the stage at his headquarters on the fancy Rue La Boétie in Paris.

"I want to gather all the people around a French dream," he said to an ecstatic crowd of about 2,000 supporters, "a new French dream. I want to say to all the French that they have a future."

Thousands more, many of them local residents, cheered outside his headquarters. Watching the American-style giant screens fixed on the classic Parisian 19th-century facade, Sarkozy's supporters booed whenever the television sets showed pictures of other candidates, but sang La Marseillaise -- the French national anthem -- whenever Sarkozy appeared.

With their candidate getting 31 percent of the vote in this first round, his supporters had good reason to celebrate. He now faces Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal -- who got 26 percent of the vote -- in a runoff vote in two weeks. If Royal beats Sarkozy, she'll become the first female president of France.

Behind the two front-runners, centrist candidate François Bayrou got 18.5 percent -- his highest win ever -- far right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen, who shocked many French citizens when he reached the second round during the previous presidential election in 2002, got 10.5 percent.

Analysts said that fears of seeing Le Pen make it to the second round again in this election rallied the French to a record 85 percent turnout.

To lure those who may have voted for Le Pen, Sarkozy focused his campaign on security and immigration -- two issues that far right candidate Le Pen has exploited massively.

Le Pen has defended anti-immigration measures for the past 35 years -- arguing that immigrants were responsible for unemployment and criminality in France.

Without going as far as Le Pen, Sarkozy forged his reputation as being a "strong man" during his tenure as interior minister.

In 2005, when a young crowd from ethnic minorities rioted in the suburbs of Paris -- they burned cars and attacked public servants -- Sarkozy greatly increased the police budget and put his weight behind the force.