| | Segolene Royal, the Socialists' candidate for the presidency, is the 53-year-old regional premier of Poitou-Charentes. She has laid out a 100-point plan which she would implement if elected France's first female head of state. |  | Nicolas Sarkozy, the 52-year-old leader of the centre-right UMP and former interior minister, sharply divides opinion but is the front-runner to get into the Elysee Palace after winning 31% of votes cast in the first round. | SALARIES, BENEFITS AND PENSIONS - Minimum wage to rise by about 250 euros ($325) to 1,500 euros per month
- Raise basic state pension by 5%
- Jobless to receive 90% of salary for first year of unemployment
| | - Exempt overtime (above 35 hours) from taxes and social security charges
- Allow workers to retire at the age they want
- Potentially remove benefits from those who turn down work
| INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS - Renegotiated EU treaty put to referendum
- Create a Eurozone government, which would promote economic growth and agreement on common tax levels
- New EU-led Mideast peace initiative
| | - "Mini" EU treaty put to French parliament
- Create a new "Mediterranean Union" comprising France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Cyprus
- Oppose Turkey's membership of the EU
| HOUSING - Build 120,000 new council homes per year and allow councils to claim properties empty for two years
- Cap some private rents and grant lifelong guarantee of housing
| | - Provide assistance to those in council housing who want to buy their property
- No person forced to sleep rough within two years of his election
| ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND AGRICULTURE - Reduce dependence on nuclear power
- 20% of energy from renewables by 2020
- Reform EU farming subsidies to favour environment and smaller farmers
| | - Promote nuclear power as a clean source of energy
- Increase amount of tax on pollution
- Simplify EU farming subsidies and link payments to actual market prices for products
| ECONOMY AND TAXES - No increase in general taxation
- Lower tax burden on companies that create jobs
- "Consolidate" 35-hour week
| | - 4 percentage point drop in taxes
- Exempt up to 95% of population from inheritance tax
- Allow people to work more than 35 hours if they wish
| IMMIGRATION, LAW AND ORDER - Residency papers for those who meet certain criteria such as job contract, time in France
- Military-style training camps for young offenders
| | | HOW TO PAY FOR IT - Financed by economic growth of 2.5% every year over next five years
| | - Cut civil service, costs of which account for 45% of government budget
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