Analysis: Nicolas Sarkozy’s miracle is nowhere to be seen at Paris debate

The campaign in fact was about discovering Mr Hollande, a veteran of the
political scene who until last night was a blank sheet for most voters.

His reputation as a grey figure, a bit flabby – his colleagues refer to him as
Flanby, a brand of French flan – with no noticeable charisma has been
praised by his supporters as an antidote to Mr Sarkozy’s ‘bling’ presidency.
But others fear that he is too soft to cope with the rigours of the job.

In that sense Mr Hollande will have benefited from the debate. For a start,
voters saw him defending successfully his questionable policies on tax,
Europe and immigration. But they also saw him keep his cool, and stand up to
Mr Sarkozy’s hectoring. And he found a compelling way of describing the kind
of president he would be, privileging the dignity of the office and
implicitly distancing himself from the interfering practices of Mr Sarkozy.

The debate is likely to seal a remarkable victory.

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