Of her two opponents in the primary, Fabius -- a 60 year-old former prime minister -- represented the left of the party, while Strauss-Kahn, 57, a former finance minister, posed as the representative for moderate pragmatism.
France's election takes place over two rounds on April 22 and May 6, and polls show that Royal and Sarkozy are neck-and-neck. President Jacques Chirac has refused to rule out standing for a third term, though opinion surveys suggest he would have little chance of winning.
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