PREMIER POMPIDOU'S PRESS CONFERENCE IN PARIS AND CANDIDATE MITTERRAND'S CAMPAIGN MEETING IN NICE.




Initials JRG/V/WH/EEH



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: FRANCE VOTES AGAIN ON SUNDAY -- THE SECOND ROUND OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. THIS WEEK'S TELEVISION BROADCASTS BY PRESIDENT DE GAULLE AND THE LEFT-WING CANDIDATE FRANCOIS MITTERRAND ARE NOW OVER, LEAVING A NEW IMPRESSION OF BOTH -- THE GENERAL HUMOROUS AND RELAXED, AND M. MITTERRAND FAST-TALKING AND TENSE.

THE LIEUTENANTS OF BOTH CANDIDATES CONTINUE TO UNLEASH A BARRAGE OF CAMPAIGN WORDS ON NEARLY 29 MILLION ELIGIBLE VOTERS -- PARTICULARLY THE 15 PER CENT WHO STAYED AWAY FROM THE VOTING STATIONS IN THE FIRST BALLOT.

M. POMPIDOU, THE PRIME MINISTER, AT HIS MASS PRESS CONFERENCE IN PARIS, REELED OFF A MASS OF FIGURES TO ILLUSTRATE THE BENEFITS FRANCE HAD REAPED AT HOME UNDER DE GAULLE -- MORE TELEVISION SETS, MORE CARS, MORE ROADS, MORE SCHOOLS.

WHILE THE PRESIDENT IN HIS CAMPAIGN TALKS NEVER SPOKE OF PERSONALITIES, THE PRIME MINISTER ATTACKED M. MITTERRAND AS THE "INCARNATION OF THE FOURTH REPUBLIC".

TWELVE TIMES A MINISTER IN IT, M. MITTERRAND HAS RECEIVED BACKING FROM ONE OF THE CHIEF BUILDERS OF POST-WAR EUROPE, M. JEAN MONNET, BECAUSE OF HIS POLICY FOR A UNITED EUROPE.

FROM NICE TODAY (FRIDAY) M. MITTERRAND SET OUT TO CAPTURE THE RIVIERA. IF HE DOES AND FRANCE AS WELL ON SUNDAY, HE TOLD A RALLY THERE HIS FIRST JOB WOULD BE TO APPOINT A NON-PARTY GROUP OF PUBLIC SERVANTS TO RUN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE COUNTRY BEFORE THE NEXT ELECTION FOR THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN JANUARY.