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Last Updated: Thursday, 15 February 2007, 17:01 GMT
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Royal v Sarkozy: The policies
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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.
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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.
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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
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- 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
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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
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- "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
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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
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- 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
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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
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- 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
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ECONOMY AND TAXES
- No increase in general taxation
- Lower tax burden on companies that create jobs
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"Consolidate" 35-hour week
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- 4 percentage point drop in taxes
- Exempt up to 95% of population from inheritance tax
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Allow people to work more than 35 hours if they wish
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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
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- Reduce illegal immigration, pursue selective immigration that favours arrival of qualified workers
- Minimum sentences for repeat offenders, tougher sentences for juveniles
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HOW TO PAY FOR IT
- Financed by economic growth of 2.5% every year over next five years
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- Cut civil service, costs of which account for 45% of government budget
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