France risks violence and brutality if right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy wins Sunday's presidential election, his Socialist opponent Ségolène Royal said today.
Royal before delivering a speech today
On the last day of official campaigning, opinion polls showed Mr Sarkozy enjoyed a commanding lead over Ms Royal, who accused the former interior minister of lying and polarising France.
"Choosing Nicolas Sarkozy would be a dangerous choice," Ms Royal told RTL radio. "It is my responsibility today to alert people to the risk of (his) candidature with regards to the violence and brutality that would be unleashed in the country (if he won)," she said.
Pressed on whether there would actually be violence, Ms Royal said: "I think so, I think so," referring specifically to France's volatile suburbs hit by widespread rioting in 2005.
A relaxed Mr Sarkozy laughed off her comments. "She's not in a good mood this morning. It must be the opinion polls," he told Europe 1 radio.
Ms Royal went on the offensive during a fiery television debate between the two on Wednesday night when Mr Sarkozy, portrayed as ruthlessly ambitious by his opponents, questioned whether she was cool enough to become France's first woman president.
Mr Sarkozy's performance buttressed his lead in the polls and a TNS Sofres survey published today showed him at 54.5 per cent, compared to 45.5 per cent for the Socialist.
An IPSOS poll put him on 54 per cent against 46 per cent for Mr Royal. "It is hard to imagine the trend being reversed," TNS Sofres deputy head Brice Teinturier told a news conference.
British bookmaker William Hill said bets on the election had been pouring in, with big money going on Mr Sarkozy; one man had put £18,900 on him winning the presidency.
A senior Royal aide conceded the situation was serious. "I have said that if the difference between Nicolas Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal was more than 5 points, the second round would be difficult," Ms Royal's adviser Julien Dray told RFI radio.
Mr Sarkozy topped the first round vote on April 22nd with 31.2 per cent of the ballot against 25.9 per cent for Ms Royal.