President Jacques Chirac has resumed his campaign for re-election with a bitter attack on his surprise opponent, National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.
In front of 6000 supporters in the Breton capital of Rennes, Mr Chirac sought to destroy Mr Le Pen's self-proclaimed image as defender of the French nation.
"The things that bind us all together in the French nation are a refusal to accept extremism, racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia," he said.
Despite Mr Chirac's effort since Sunday not to appear triumphalist, the audience could not restrain their cries of "On a gagne, on a gagne" (We have won, we have won). Mr Chirac is expected to win the final round of the presidential poll on May 5, after Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin lost to Mr Le Pen in Sunday's first-round poll.
Mr Chirac has refused to meet Mr Le Pen for a televised debate. Mr Le Pen claims Mr Chirac wants to avoid accounting for "seven years of failure, lies and about-faces".
When the debate was set for April 29, it was thought Mr Jospin would be facing Mr Chirac in the second round.
Mr Le Pen, a frequent talk show guest, said the French would now demand a debate.
In his speech to the faithful, Mr Chirac painted a picture of a France in crisis, in need of a great man to bring it together. "The republic doesn't quiver when the soul of the French people is at stake. This combat is the combat of my life," he said.
"There is no possible transaction with hate and intolerance, no possible compromise, no possible debate. I will not agree to meet the representative of the National Front."
Despite his scathing attack, Mr Chirac espoused two messages that have proved successful for Mr Le Pen: a crackdown on criminals, and defence of traditional French nationhood.
"Strong measures will be taken to improve your security," Mr Chirac said. "A minister of security will be named. We will build prisons to lock up young repeat offenders."
British Prime Minister Tony Blair described Mr Le Pen's policies as repellent, racist and narrow-minded nationalism.
Deploying unusually confrontational language, he said it was vital that mainstream Europe fights the far right. He admitted that the demise of Mr Jospin left his government increasingly isolated in Europe. But he said that by tackling crime and immigration, his government could neutralise the threat by a populist right, represented by the British National Party.
"There is always a danger that if people feel there are certain real social problems that aren't being tackled by those in power they'll be seduced by deeply unpleasant populism," he said.
His remarks reflect frustration in senior Labour ranks at the French Socialists' failure to effectively deal with crime and to run a strong campaign.
- Telegraph, Guardian