France may soon elect its first woman president

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Segolene Royal, a former environment minister who has shaken up French politics with her grassroots campaign, won the overwhelming backing of the main opposition Socialist Party in her bid to become the country's first female president.

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The vote was the culmination of an unprecedented American-style "primary" campaign that marked a shift away from a tradition of politics being decided behind closed doors.

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By the final tally, Royal had about 60 percent of votes...

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Royal's deference to voters has sparked accusations that she is too populist. Asked whether Turkey should be allowed to join the European Union, for example, she answered, "My opinion is that of the French people."

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Critics say the Socialists have no feasible recipes for facing a globalizing economy or revitalizing growth. The party manifesto calls for expanding use of the much-maligned workweek law, re-nationalizing the power company Electricite de France, and punishing companies that move jobs abroad.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/11/17/D8LER9P00.html