PARIS: President Nicolas Sarkozy's center-right camp appears assured of winning a majority in parliamentary elections on Sunday and on June 17. Barring a political earthquake, the only question is how big that majority will be and what he will do with it. Since Sarkozy became president last month, opinion polls have given his Union for a Popular Movement party between 360 and 430 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly."The choice is between a blue wave or a blue tsunami," said Stéphane Rozès, head of political research at the CSA polling institute, referring to the Popular Movement's traditional color. "Either way, French voters will allow Sarkozy to consolidate his power."
It will be the first time in nearly three decades that a parliamentary majority is re-elected, highlighting the extent to which the president represents a break with the past even within the Gaullist movement. The last government, in which Sarkozy served as finance and interior minister, was deeply unpopular. But by vowing to implement an agenda of far-reaching change he differentiated himself from his predecessor, Jacques Chirac.