France election: Nicolas Sarkozy hits out at ‘bias’ media as François Hollande nears victory

He insisted the fierce electoral race would end up far closer than polls
predict. “You cannot imagine to what extent it will end up on a razor
edge on Sunday”, he said, claiming – not for the first time – that a “silent
majority” would rise up at the last moment. “Don’t be afraid,”
he told voters.

Mr Hollande, meanwhile, called on the French to give him an “ample victory”
to give him the momentum to enact his electoral promises: “If the
French people must make a choice, they should do so clearly, overwhelmingly,
so the winner has the capacity and means to act.”

If victorious, he said: “I will have no grace period. The country’s
problems will not disappear with the eventual departure of Nicolas
Sarkozy
. He won’t take the public debt, unemployment and social
problems with him.”

In a separate development, Mr Hollande’s camp called the US Embassy to discuss
a photo of President Barack Obama in a Sarkozy campaign video. Hollande
aides are said to be upset that the image suggest Mr Obama, who is popular
in France, is taking sides with Mr Sarkozy. The Embassy said the US
government “does not support any candidate”.

Mr Sarkozy has so far failed to win sufficient support from those who backed
National Front candidate Marine Le Pen in round one despite incessant
overtures to the far-Right. Yesterday, his defence minister Gérard Longuet,
even went as far as saying “we, at the National Front” during an
interview, before correcting himself.

Firing in all directions before the end of campaigning on Friday night, the
Sarkozy camp attacked “biased” media for its woes.

Two star presenters of France’s most-watched rolling TV news channel, BFM TV,
were attacked by Sarkozy supporters to taunts of “collaborators”
at his final rally in Toulon on Thursday. Ruth Elkrief and co-presenter
Thierry Arnaud were hit by water bottles, one striking Mr Arnaud in the
face. They had to curtail their live programme and complained to France’s
broadcast watchdog, CSA. Mr Arnaud said he was “molested in practically
every meeting”.

Mr Sarkozy apologised for the incident, but added: “I would like everyone
to also understand the attitude of people who are exasperated by a form of
intolerance or bias (in French media).”

The head of his UMP party, Jean-François Copé, went further, saying : “We
have witnessed a veritable denial of democracy (in the media coverage of
this campaign) … It’s not normal that (reports) are so negative each time
they speak of Nicolas Sarkozy.”

The President has repeatedly claimed that “intermediary bodies”,
including the media, are preventing him from connecting to “the people”.

Attacking the media is a classic tactic of populist politicians and has been
exploited in this year’s presidential campaign by far-Right leader Marine Le
Pen and far-Left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Mr Sarkozy’s FN seduction drive has sparked what his camp says is totally
unacceptable media reactions, notably a front cover of Marianne magazine
depicting him as Vichy leader Marshal Philippe Pétain.

“Why not Hitler?,” he asked during a TV debate with Mr Hollande on
Wednesday night.

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