A battle Royal for president

The second round of the French presidential elections is today. This time with a clearer choice: Socialist Segolene Royal or conservative Nicolas Sarkozy. The battle is close, opinion polls are banned in the two days before an election, but the last poll on Thursday showed Sarkozy marginally ahead, as indeed was the general consensus of opinion after their widely publicised television debate.

It is said, "All's fair in love, war and politics" but Royal demonstrated an air of desperation when she said on Friday it was her responsibility to alert people to the risk of voting for Sarkozy as he was a "dangerous choice" and it might spark riots. Obviously her comments were aimed at supporters of Centrist François Bayrou, who was eliminated in the first round. But her comments are tantamount to enticing her supporters onto the streets if she lost. A far from presidential position to take.