Crowd cheers Mitterrand

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33519, 27 April 1974, Page 15

Crowd cheers Mitterrand

(.N .Z .P.A -Reuter-—Copy right

PARIS. April 26. The campaign of the Socialist. Mr Francois Mitterrand, for the French Presidency gathered momentum yesterday after he had been acclaimed at one of France’s largest political rallies for years.

Mr Mitterrand, who said he believed that the Presidency was within his grasp, was wildly cheered in Paris last night by a crowd estimated at between 80,000 and 100,000. The rally was Mr Mitterrand’s only scheduled campaign appearance on the ■same platform as the Com-, 1 munist Party leader, Mr ■' Georges Marchais, whose ■ followers are supporting Mr Mitterrand as the sole candiIdate of the Left. j The rally came as a cli-| I max to one of the busiest [days of the campaign so far, 'which had included a nation-ally-broadcast radio debate! between Mr Mitterrand and his principal rival on the i Right, the Minister of Fin-i ance (Mr Valery Giscard: d’Estaing). The debate left both mem hoarse after a stormy discussion on the economy. Mr! Mitterrand sought to pin the! blame for France’s inflation' on Mr Giscard d’Estaing,! who, in turn, tried to portray the Left-wing candidate as the harbinger of a Communist France. The debating honours were about even in the view of most political observers in this first head-on confrontation between the two men who seem likely to finish first and second in the first round of voting on May 5. Neither Mr Mitterrand nor Mr Giscard d’Estaing mentioned the Gaullist candidate, Mr- Jacques ChabanDelmas, the former Prime, Minister, who is steadily, losing ground in opinion polls, and who is in danger ; of being eliminated in the first-round vote. Only the top two candi-j dates will go into the run-off vote for the Presidency onj May 19. To win outright in| the first round, a candidate!

must gain an absolute majority. Mr Chaban-Delmas made a much more modest appearance than his opponents before about 3000 supporters last night. He accused Mr Giscard d'Estaing, now [always his chief target, of I mismanaging the French economy, and speaking of ■the Left-wing candidate, be said: "Mitterrand is allied to a political formation which J. still owes allegiance to a foreign country.” According to an opinion poll today in the Con- ; servative newspaper, “Le [Figaro,” Mr Mitterand is I still gaining strength, but l not enough to give him the labsolute majority needed for (victory in the first round. I The poll, which gives Mr Mitterrand 42 per cent of the ivotes in the first round, (compared with 20 per cent •for Mr Giscard d'Estaing, and 24 per cent for Mr Cha-;ban-Delmas, closely reflects (other opinion polls in recent days. ! Perhaps more significantly, the “Le Figaro" poll give Mr Giscard d’Estaing the best chance of ultimate vic tory in the second round of voting, on May 19. Mr Mitterrand. who is virtuallv unopposed for the Left-wing vote, is certain to figure in the second round. Among those polled b "Le Figaro,” 52 per cent said that they would vote for Mr Giscard d’Estaing in the second round, and 48 per cent said that they would support Mr Mitterrand. In the event of a second round between Mr ChabanIDelmas and Mr Mitterrand, jthe votes would be split 50(50, according to the poll. [ The survey is a fresh blow to Mr Chaban-Delmas. (who is regarded as the more (liberal of the two candidates on the Right, and who (has argued that he alone can deprive Mr Mitterrand of the .Presidency.