A Paradoxical French Electorate

Of the 12 candidates on Sunday's first-round ballot, three are considered top contenders: tough-talking former interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy, 52, from Chirac's ruling party, the Union for a Popular Movement; Socialist Ségolène Royal, 53, who is hoping to become France's first female president; and François Bayrou, 55, of the small Union for French Democracy party, who has positioned himself as a centrist between Sarkozy on the right and Royal on the left.

Because of the crowded field, it is unlikely that any candidate will win outright with a 50 percent-plus majority. The top two vote-getters will face off in a second ballot May 6.

The three leading candidates have tried to capitalize on the calls for change. Sarkozy promised a "rupture" with the past. Royal argued that, since France has never had a female president, she would be the best agent for change. Bayrou vowed to end the left-right divide that has been a hallmark of French politics for five decades by creating a coalition government representing all major parties.

Any one of them would be the first French president born after World War II -- assuring, if nothing else, at least a more modern image. But despite marketing themselves as political outsiders, all are decades-long members of the French political elite, and there is widespread skepticism that any would make a radical break with the past.

Goat farmer Jouve, who has a boyish grin and bushy eyebrows, is one of countless people who say they are big advocates of change.

"If we want real change in France, we need to produce more, because with more production, people spend more and we can therefore create more jobs," said Jouve, who sells milk from his 150 goats to a local farm cooperative that makes the famous regional picodon cheeses. "It seems simple, but our main problem is the cost for employers to hire people. Employers' taxes are so high that we are stuck."

Jouve has strict parameters on what kinds of changes he is willing to accept. Because of cheap foreign competition, a good change would be higher protective tariffs on imported cheeses, he said. He's willing to give up France's lucrative farm subsidies, but only "if prices are high enough to sustain local producers without subsidies."

He fears that without greater protections for farmers, France will lose its agricultural heritage and end up being little more than a tourist destination. "I picture myself as part of this touristy trend," he said, "taking my goats out for walks for tourists to enjoy taking pictures of the French folklore."

Jouve paused. He conceded that, like many French, he had contradictory demands and said he's so frustrated with all the candidates that he may cast a blank ballot on Sunday.

Many political and economic analysts, politicians and French citizens see the country as seriously broken, built on socialist ideals that are outdated and flawed. The country now vies for the "sick man of Europe" moniker, with near-record budget and trade deficits, its highest debt in history (65 percent of GDP), and anemic economic growth and employment rates that are among the lowest in the industrialized world.

Public spending accounts for about 55 percent of the national income; unemployment has not fallen below 8 percent in 25 years.

The cost of hiring and firing employees in France is so high that many companies are unwilling to face the risks of expanding. Studies show that as many as 70 percent of all new employment contracts in France are for temporary jobs.