PARIS, Oct 13, (APP/AFP) – France’s ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy and former prime minister Alain Juppe will face off Thursday in a televised debate ahead of a primary widely seen as the main battle for the presidency. The stakes are high in the race for the nomination of the main opposition Republicans party and its allies. Pollsters say whoever emerges victorious from the November 20-27 contest is likely to meet — and defeat — far-right leader Marine Le Pen of the National Front in the second round of the election in May. The brash Sarkozy, 61, is waging an uphill fight for a return to the office he held from 2007 to 2012, lagging far behind his mild-mannered 71-year-old rival in voter surveys. Sarkozy has been accused of chasing after National Front voters, tapping into fears about immigration and a string of militant attacks that have killed over 230 people in France in the past two years.
International News
Sarkozy, Juppe set for French presidential primary showdown
