Even the right judged it a success. On January 22nd Francois Hollande, the Socialists' presidential candidate, addressed his first big rally at Le Bourget, an airport just north of Paris. He answered critics of his lacklustre campaign with a strong performance that electrified his supporters. The polls make him the clear favourite to beat Nicolas Sarkozy, the incumbent, in the second round of the election in May. Mr Sarkozy, who has yet formally to enter the race, has started to talk publicly about life beyond politics.
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