One in four voters still to decide
Poll highlights confusion over candidates and presidential election programmes
ONE IN four people have not yet decided who they are going to vote for in the presidential election - with the first round just 100 days away.
Emmanuel Rivière of polling group TNS Sofres, which carried out the study for TV programme Dimanche+, said the number of undecided voters was "high" with the 18-24 age group being particularly concerned.
However, he said there is still confusion over the candidates - President Sarkozy has still not put his name forward - and what the election programmes would be.
Half of people have already made up or all but made up their minds on who they were going to vote for - while 11% were still hesitating between two or three candidates.
Rivière said that the deciding factor for each person was different: perhaps something in their electoral programme, a televised debate or a family chat would make the difference. Many voters were waiting for more detail from the candidates.
The first poll of 2012 - for Le Journal du Dimanche saw the intended vote for socialist candidate François Hollande in the first round tumble to only two points above that of Sarkozy with Hollande on 28% and the president on 26%.
However, the poll also showed that Hollande would still beat Sarkozy comfortably in the second round vote on May 6, with 54% against 46%.
Front National leader Marine Le Pen is steady at 17% of the first-round vote and François Bayrou, leader of centrist MoDem, is gaining more support to reach 12%.
