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French Candidates Woo Far-Right Voters

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Ahead of second round of presidential voting.

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Joel Saget, AFP / Getty Images

Both remaining candidates in the French presidential election are now pursuing the voters of Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader who took 20 percent of last Saturday's first-round presidential vote. Le Pen was a spoiler for center-right incumbent president Nicolas Sarkozy, but challenger Francois Hollande also believes he can pursuade Le Pen's supporters to join him. Campaigning Tuesday, Sarkozy told Front National voters, "I have heard you," while Hollande urged them to express their "social anger" by voting for his socialist party. Hollande said that the Front National's support comes from left-wingers disillusioned with the mainstream parties' collaboration on European economic policy they oppose.

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