The gap between Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist François Hollande is now tantalisingly close, the latest confidential poll suggests, as voting begun voting in the final round of France's presidential elections.
France goes to the polls
Convinced he can pull off the most spectacular turnaround in French presidential history, Mr Sarkozy is said to have phoned Edouard Balladur, a former prime minister, and said: "Something's happening mr prime minister, I assure you, Ifop says it's still doable for me." Earlier he warned: "It will be very, very close. The results risk being contested, like for Bush in Florida. It will be on a razor's edge."
Mr Sarkozy and his former supermodel wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy voted at a secondary school in Paris' chic 16th district.
Voting in his electoral fief of Tulle, in central France, Mr Hollande said: "It's going to be a long day. It's up to the French people to decide if it's going to be a good day."
When campaigning ended on Friday night, the final polls gave Mr Hollande a lead of between four and seven percent – down from around ten a week earlier.
Experts tempered the narrowing, saying it is classic in a country where the Left-Right divide is almost equally split and that the polls have never got the second round result wrong in almost a half-century.
Still, the Hollande camp was reportedly jittery after a confidential Ifop poll, whose precise result cannot be published, closed the gap yet further.
"Thank goodness the campaign doesn't last another week," said Hollande spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem.
A Socialist official in Paris played down the reported late Sarkozy surge, saying: "This is a typical Right-wing tactic to get their voters out by telling them it's closer and every vote counts."
The Right suffered a small, but potentially significant blow after turnout figures released at midday showed that almost 31 per cent of voters had cast their ballots – higher than round one but lower than the 34 per cent at this stage in 2007. The Sarkozy camp is banking on abstainers turning the tide.
A steady stream of people turned out to the polling station in the Trois Bornes school in Paris's 11th arrondissement, a Left-wing area, where the overwhelming message from voters was that the result would be far closer than polls suggest.
"I'm voting François Hollande. I hope he wins, but it will get closer tonight," said Mathias, 34. "He stands a good chance. If Sarkozy wins, I think we're in real trouble given the campaign he ran between the two rounds, the atmosphere is going to be hateful." "He has overstepped the mark of intolerance, disrespect and 'vivre ensemble' (living together), so I we need to get back to a more healthy, balanced society. That malaise won't be resolved if he is re-elected." Christine, a local in her 40s, said: "I think Hollande will win. I hope the victory will be clear. Sarkozy scared many people, who are likely to turn out. If he wins, I will be very depressed. We really need a breath of fresh air in this country."
In Les Lilas, to the east of the capital, Deborah, 53, a clothes company worker, said she was voting Sarkozy. "He's the only one who can get us out of the economic crisis. He saved from the worst. We could have ended up like Greece or Spain. And I just don't think Hollande is up to the task." Cécile, 37, a teacher, was on her way to vote Sarkozy in the 20th arrondissement of Paris.
"I've heard so much anti-Sarkozy propaganda. The Left-leaning media seems more present. Sarkozy's policies are better for the economy," she said.
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