France election: Sarkozy to unveil economic plans
LONDON. April 5. KAZINFORM Nicolas Sarkozy is preparing to unveil his economic manifesto for re-election as president of France, less than three weeks before the first round of voting.
Opinion polls suggest he has edged ahead of his main rival, Francois Hollande, but the Socialist still seems likely to win the second round.
Mr Sarkozy has seen his support strengthen since an Islamist gunman attacked soldiers and a Jewish school, BBC News reports.
The Socialists want to turn attention back to the economy.
Mr Hollande supports higher taxes on the rich and on Wednesday he promised a freeze on fuel prices and a 30% cut in salaries for the president and for cabinet ministers.
'Unemployment first'
After the gun attacks in the south-west last month, Mr Sarkozy ordered a security clampdown and there have been high-profile and controversial raids on suspected Islamist militants.
This week, France expelled two foreign-born radical Islamists on state security grounds.
However, opinion polls suggest unemployment - running at 10% - tops voter concerns.
Mr Sarkozy is not expected to announce significant new proposals when he outlines his economic programme on Thursday, correspondents say.
Ideas the conservative leader has already sketched out include making the long-term unemployed undergo training in order to keep their benefits and making tax exiles contribute in France.
According to the three most recent opinion polls available, Mr Sarkozy leads Mr Hollande by an average of 1.8 percentage points in the first round but trails him in the second by an average of seven points.
Voters first go to the polls on 22 April, with the run-off scheduled for 6 May.