Campaign fails to impress

Paris: It's well known by now that the French presidential elections are critical for the country.

As candidates wound up their campaigns with a final push on Friday, including volunteers handing out flyers at most metro station exits, the real debates were taking place that evening.

At last mention in the media, 16 million voters had not made up their mind on whom to vote for. With 12 candidates in the running, it is not a lack of choice that is the problem, but as the receptionist at our hotel Paul Henri says: "It is a lack of clarity and consistency."

Henri, will "most probably vote for Bayrou" as he is not "entirely happy with the right or the left". And that is precisely what many French voters seem to be saying. Although most polls give Nicolas Sarkozy lead, the real battle seems to be for second place, with centrist candidate Francois Bayrou featuring as an either-or option for many.

Taxi driver

There is an overall sense of disappointment at the choice of candidates available. Our taxi driver from the airport to the hotel, originally from Cambodia, seemed to be of the opinion that the election was more about personalities and not policies.

"I know more about how they operate than what they promise to do," he said. Fears of losing their high-quality of life with less working hours and holidays exist along with the concern of France losing its competitiveness on the global stage. "It's a tricky balance to have both and not one candidate has convinced me that they can find it," says Mathilde Verdain, a bank employee.

However, the perception that though Sarkozy might be the "right" person to inject a dose of capitalism within their economy, Karim Awad, is unsure if the people are ready for such non-socialist changes.

"Students' protests to a new employment law last year wasn't encouraging," he said. And what of the potential first woman president? There seems to be a feeling Segolene Royal is a creation of the media.

Vinita Bharadwaj is an independent writer currently in Paris