Le FNPS

French presidential elections take place in two rounds - deux tours.

In the first round all the candidates are put forward and if anyone gets over 50% of the vote, then he elected.

However it is quite common for nobody to have over 50%, in which case the two front runners of the first round go into the second round, and the winner of that round wins.

Nicolas Sarkozy, who I miss greatly, has befuddled the minds of many people by speaking of those who vote for the FNPS - the Front National Parti Socialiste.

He has since explained himself, saying that when people vote for the Front National in the first round and give that party a good percentage they provoke a backlash which results in people voting socialist in the second round.

I think he is probably right, though he's been perhaps just a bit too creative, cryptic even, in his description as FNPS

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