Two months ago, Paris’s political insiders were unanimous: the presidential race was still open, but Ségolène Royal was clearly the favorite. Today, the reverse seems true. While the race is not over, Nicolas Sarkozy has emerged as the consistent favorite in the polls, as well as of those who declared “him” nearly defeated in early December. The new consensus can be described as follows: Ségolène Royal cannot defeat Nicolas Sarkozy, but Sarkozy can defeat himself.
Two months ago, Paris’s political insiders were unanimous: the presidential race was still open, but Ségolène Royal was clearly the favorite. Today, the reverse seems true. While the race is not over, Nicolas Sarkozy has emerged as the consistent favorite in the polls, as well as of those who declared “him” nearly defeated in early December. The new consensus can be described as follows: Ségolène Royal cannot defeat Nicolas Sarkozy, but Sarkozy can defeat himself.