Sarkozy woos French voters with flip-flops and signed condoms

[kskiska]

Once it was political rhetoric that determined French presidential elections, but Nicolas Sarkozy, the interior minister and presidential hopeful, is trying something new: emblazoning his party's message on flip-flops and condoms and handing them out on the beach.

With just one week of France's summer holiday season left, the ruling conservative UMP's operation "beach party" is trying to attract as many new members as possible along the French coast by distributing customised freebies.

(snip)

Although the party will not select its candidate until January, Mr Sarkozy has essentially begun his campaign for next May's election, with a deeply personal political manifesto on the bestseller lists. This month he appeared on the front page of one of France's popular celebrity-gossip magazines jogging down the beach in black shorts and bare torso.

But competition is high from the most likely Socialist party presidential candidate, Ségolène Royal, who is leading in the polls despite the fact that her party will not choose its candidate until November. The 53-year-old mother of four was photographed on the beach in a blue bikini and in the sea doing aqua-aerobics. Such was the crush to see her speak at the tiny village of Frangy-en-Bresse in central France last weekend that three people were hurt.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,,1856052,00.html

[donsu]

1. love the French - they are so real

nt