French left uneasy about Royal's courting of centre

PARIS, Apr 26 (Reuters) Left-wing allies criticised French presidential candidate Segolene Royal today for wooing centrist voters ahead of the second round vote on May 6 pitting her against right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy.

Royal and Sarkozy are courting the 7 million voters who supported centrist Francois Bayrou in the first round of the vote on Sunday, whose backing could be decisive in the run-off.

Royal has offered Bayrou a joint debate with regional journalists tomorrow, a move that has not gone down well with all of the Socialist's traditional supporters.

''Careful, comrades, you're playing with fire,'' said senator Jean-Luc Melenchon on his blog. ''These hazardous gymnastics will soon have a price. Do we believe we can mobilise the left-wing voters of the first round in this way?'' Small leftist parties whose presidential candidates were eliminated in the first round have urged their supporters to vote for Royal on May 6, but they said her cultivation of the centrists could alienate some voters.

''If it's her objective to beat Nicolas Sarkozy, it's totally contradictory to go looking for the votes of all of the left, while at the same time preparing the base for a political alliance with Bayrou,'' the leftist LCR said in a statement.

Recent surveys have shown Sarkozy leading Royal. A BVA survey today put the rightwinger at 53 per cent compared to 47 percent for Royal.

''STICK TOGETHER'' Royal's aides defended their candidate's strategy.

''Segolene Royal has not turned towards the centre. She has turned towards her presidential pact (election programme) and the search for convergence points,'' her campaign adviser Jean-Louis Bianco said.

''I think the big majority of Socialists are convinced,'' he told BFM television.

Both Royal and Sarkozy have offered to include ministers of Bayrou's small UDF party in a new government.

Bayrou has refused to advise supporters whom to back in the May 6 election, criticising both candidates and having particularly harsh words for Sarkozy.

He said Sarkozy risked exacerbating social tensions while Royal would worsen France's serious economic problems.

Royal has based her campaign on left-wing economic policies and conservative social values, criticising high banking fees and excessive executive pay but also raising eyebrows with a plan to send young troublemakers to military boot camps.

Sarkozy, a former interior minister, has repeated his tough stance on immigration and law and order in recent weeks. He wants the French to work harder and pay less tax, and is promising swift reforms to curb union powers.

Whoever wins will inherit a fractured country that has the highest unemployment rate of any major industrial power.

However, data showed on Thursday French business confidence jumped to its highest level in more than six years in April, buoyed by foreign orders.

REUTERS JS RK1530