France opts for a left-right duel

"No surprise candidate, no last minute turn of events came to unsettle a duel that rests on deep social and historical forces", notes the editorialist Sylvain Besson. "The less positive aspect of this vote is that France appears deeply divided. The high scores of Nicolas Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal and the rejection of François Bayrou reflect subterranean fracture running between two Frances who hardly speak to one another and no longer understand one another. ... The opposition of societal projects ostensibly defended by the victors gives the impression that these two Frances no longer live in the same world. This promises an epic battle in the run-up and a few difficulties for the next president who will have the heavy task of advancing a country cut in half."

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