A campaign for French presidential election has already started long before the opening bell rings, with parties on both the left and right wings entering a final stage of fierce competition. As is shown by the recent polls, approval ratings of the ruling party led by President Sarkozy has fallen behind that of the Social Party, and the far-right is gaining strength. In the first quarter of 2011, the French economy experienced a GDP growth stronger than expected, which shrunk after that under the impact of the debt crisis. In addition, constrained by the presidential election campaign, it is not easy for the government to realize its objective of cutting deficits. To secure support from the electorate, President Sarkozy made use of the issues of immigration and the far-right powers, leading to an atmosphere of Xenophobia and hatred to foreigners. As the rotating presidency of both the G8 and G20, France is playing an active role in diplomatic affairs. And as the first country to wage war towards Libya, France has attracted wide-ranging attention from the international society.
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