It's a left-right duel, says French election media

By Tim Hepher

PARIS (Reuters) - Five years after a far-right poll breakthrough sent headline writers into overdrive, French newspapers cheered a return of classic politics on Monday after voters set up a left-right duel in presidential elections.

In early editions after Socialist Segolene Royal reached a May 6 run-off by coming second to conservative Nicolas Sarkozy in Sunday's first round, editorialists said their battle would focus on a block of voters who backed centrist Francois Bayrou.

"Duel at the summit," declared conservative daily Le Figaro in its front-page headline.

"The clear qualification of Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royal for the second round marks a comeback for a bipolar political life in France, with a record voter turnout for the 5th Republic," Le Figaro reported, referring to the political system set up by General Charles de Gaulle in 1958.

"A duel and a referee," said La Voix du Nord, a regional daily once used by President Jacques Chirac to announce his first successful bid for France's highest office in 1995.

"It is a beautiful Sunday for democracy," the newspaper wrote in a front-page editorial, contrasting the 2007 vote with the upheaval caused when far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen came second in 2002 elections.

"This old country of ours, which has such a love of politics, had turned away and shunned the voting booths, creating duels that were unworthy of its history," it said.

"Yesterday the French restored their faith in democracy despite their disenchantment and the cynicism of certain members of the elite."

NO SHOCK

Le Pen stunned France and sent shockwaves across Europe when he came second in the first round of the 2002 election. He was left as the sole challenger to Chirac, who won the second round by a landslide with the support of the left.

Back then, newspapers captured the disbelief of mainstream voters with one-word titles like "No" and "Shock," blaming the result on voter apathy and a low turnout.

By contrast, Sunday's turnout was 84.5 percent, with support for fringe candidates folding, and centrist Bayrou representing the biggest stockpile of votes able to sway the final result.

With virtually all votes counted, Sarkozy was the clear winner of the first round with 31.1 percent, ahead of Royal who enters the second round on 25.7 percent, and centrist Bayrou who garnered 18.5 percent.

"The second round will be decided in the centre," said Catholic daily La Croix, hailing a sharp rise in support for Bayrou's party which has promised to reinvigorate politics.

Le Pen came a distant fourth on 10.6 percent, down from 16.9 percent in 2002, when voting was much more dispersed.