International

Conservative Sarkozy Wins French Presidency

By Debbie Elliott, Eleanor Beardsley

Published May 6, 2007 at 1:04 PM PDT

This story was published more than 17 years ago.

Victorious conservative candidate Nicolas Sarkozy delivers a speech in Paris, May 6.

French voters give a resounding victory to conservative Nicolas Sarkozy in the final round of the country's presidential elections.

Nearly complete returns show Sarkozy with 53 percent of the vote, a comfortable margin over the 47 percent for socialist Segolene Royal.

Excitement is high in France over Sarkozy's triumph at the polls, which saw an estimated 86 percent voter turnout.

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Many supporters say he is the only politician who will be able to implement difficult changes, including loosening the 35-hour work week and toughening immigration law.

International

Debbie Elliott

NPR National Correspondent Debbie Elliott can be heard telling stories from her native South. She covers the latest news and politics, and is attuned to the region's rich culture and history.

Eleanor Beardsley

Eleanor Beardsley began reporting from France for NPR in 2004 as a freelance journalist, following all aspects of French society, politics, economics, culture and gastronomy. Since then, she has steadily worked her way to becoming an integral part of the NPR Europe reporting team.

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