Should not draw hasty conclusions estimated the UMP

The best defense is attack. Yesterday morning, the General Secretary of the UMP, Xavier Bertrand, violently attacked Socialist elected representatives, accused of carrying out "a political campaign" against the reform of local authorities "on public funds." The presidential party had already denounced the "fiscal madness" and "extravagant spending" regions of left, dans a black book, last November. And he intends to continue stigmatizing their management of here in the regional elections of 14 and 21 March.

Very offensive in his words, the majority however seems more and more on the reculoir to now less than seven weeks of the election. A survey FIFG for "Paris Match" the give shoulder to shoulder with the PS in the first round with 27 of the vote, while she was 31-33 of the vote so far. "Should not draw hasty conclusions", estimated the UMP.

Ambitions revised downwards

Nevertheless, credited with 8.5 at the national level, the FN could continue in the second round in a dozen regions, killing in the egg the rare hopes of reconquest of the presidential party. "The majority is in a difficult situation, says Jérôme Fourquet, Deputy Director of the opinion of the FIFG Department."

The time is rather to the "coaster". "Better decentralise the debate only to nationalize", said a leader of the UMP. Nicolas Sarkozy gave the UMP campaign kickoff at the national Council on 30 November in Aubervilliers. "In this fight, I'm with you", was then declared the head of State. He did not attend the Saturday national Council which lists will be endorsed. Most importantly he has assured, Monday night on TF1, that the "role of the President of the Republic is not to campaign for the Chairmen of region". The Prime Minister ira, of course, support the candidates of the majority as it has already begun to do so (see below). But local issues will now prevail. The heads of the majority leader present their lists Saturday afternoon in their regions and not at a large gathering at the porte de Versailles, Paris, as planned initially.

Officially, the UMP guard aims "to some regions" to PS and keep the two in his possession (Corsica and Alsace). Informally, the ambitions were seriously revised downward. "If it prevents Martine Aubry to the grand slam, it will be won", now considered a tenor of the majority.

Dug with the Green gap

Because the PS, according to pollsters, indeed seems to have him, the wind. And just to strengthen its ranks. Martine Aubry was also, "rétropédalé" Tuesday night on TF1, on pensions, in reaffirming its commitment to the legal age of 60 years, "a right". His previous statements had thrown the disorder in the PS and the electorate of traditional left.

In addition, the Socialists dug gap in the polls with environmentalists. Daniel Cohn-Bendit has, moreover, held "unlikely", yesterday, that Europe ecology is able to get a Chair of region in March. With a flat however: the campaign has not yet really started. At the European, the Modem and the PS are were collapsed in the last straight line in favour of the Greens.

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