PARIS, May 21 (RIA Novosti) - Campaigning began in France Monday for the June 10 and 17 legislative elections, in which President Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling UMP party is expected to win a comfortable majority.
Analysts have said that a majority in parliament would allow Sarkozy to push through his highly ambitious reform agenda, with the first package up for deliberation before the summer recess.
The president boosted his Union for a Popular Movement's chances for success in the upcoming polls Friday by appointing Socialist Bernard Kouchner as foreign minister and Centrist Herve Morin as defense minister in his new, broad-based Cabinet.
Polls suggest 40% of the voters will support UMP candidates in the first round vote June 10, against 28% for the Socialists, France's main opposition party.
That may bring the Conservatives' current 359 seats in the 577-member parliament to over 400.
