A woman president in France?

The woman who would be president

Her father believed that a woman's place was in the home - but she could soon be France's first female head of state. The old men who run the country must wish that Ségolène Royal had listened to Papa, writes Angelique Chrisafis

At a sports hall in a small town outside Bordeaux, more than 1,000 smiling people sat wearing stickers depicting a blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds. For weeks these people had been out recruiting others to join their inspirational "movement". Now they were staring past the potted ferns and rock-concert lighting rig towards the stage, waiting to get a glimpse of their leader.

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