French President Nicolas Sarkozy was on Monday hunting far-right votes after losing to Socialist Francois Hollande in a first round vote.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy was on Monday hunting far-right votes after losing to Socialist Francois Hollande in a first round vote.

Hollande and Sarkozy are to face each other in a run-off on May 6 after Sunday's first round saw the Socialist beat the incumbent by a vote of 28.63 to 27.18 percent, according to near complete official results.

Hollande's victory cemented his position as the clear leader in the race, dealing a blow to Sarkozy's hopes of gaining enough momentum from a first-round win to defy expectations and return to office.
The right-wing incumbent moved quickly to woo the 18 percent of voters who backed the FN's Marine Le Pen, saying they deserved an answer to their concerns.

"We must respect the voters' will, it is our duty to listen," Sarkozy told journalists as he prepared to campaign Monday in central France.
"There was this crisis vote that doubled from one election to another, an answer must be given."

Hollande told reporters that the vote reflected anger in the country and that he would also listen to far-right supporters.
"Nicolas Sarkozy is to blame for the far-right's high level," he said after meeting aides in Paris before heading to Brittany to campaign.

"There are voters who may have been been led to this through anger. That is what I want to hear."

Polls show most far-right supporters prefer Sarkozy but up to a quarter -- mainly working-class voters attracted by Le Pen's protectionist trade policies -- could switch to Hollande.