The official campaign in France’s presidential election opened yesterday, two weeks ahead of the first round of voting, with frontrunners Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royal battling to ensure they make the all-important second round.

The vote is seen as one of the most exciting and important in recent French history, marking the transition to a new generation of leaders and defining the country’s response to issues of globalisation and national identity.

Royal and Sarkozy continue to lead the race by several points, but opinion polls also show that the centrist candidate Francois Bayrou and the far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen are still very much in the running.

In theory any two of the four could make it into the deciding round of voting on May 6.

Yesterday all 12 contenders entered the final straight, with official rules coming into effect for campaign broadcasts and postering at polling booths. A hectic nationwide series of public rallies and stump meetings then kicks in up to the first vote on April 22.