Sarkozy goes on the defensive over his economic record

French president Nicolas Sarkozy defended his economic record yesterday as opinion polls suggested his prospects of re-election were crumbling just over a week from the first round of the presidential vote.

A new poll showed Socialist François Hollande extending his lead over Mr Sarkozy, with the conservative incumbent’s modest gains of the past month starting to evaporate. The vote takes place on 22 April and 6 May.

The poll showed Mr Hollande winning the 6 May decider with 57 per cent of the vote, and two other recent surveys also suggested his chances of becoming the first left-wing president since François Mitterrand were strengthening.

Yesterday, Mr Sarkozy said that he had helped France weather the economic crisis over the past four years far better than countries such as Greece or Spain, and he renewed warnings of market turmoil if Mr Hollande won power.