High Hopes For The Ordinary Man Of Politics

France goes to the polls in an election that is widely expected to return the country to a Socialist government.

After a punishing schedule of campaign rallies, Socialist candidate and presidential favourite Francois Hollande allowed himself a little down time in his political home of Tulle.

Warmly greeted by local shoppers, he insisted that visiting his local market is a usual weekend activity - entirely plausible from this self-styled ordinary man.

Clearly at ease in rural France, he defies those who claim he would be far less at home in the Elysees palace.

For many French voters his Mr Normal persona is appealing but, for others, he simply is not presidential enough.

Even in Mr Hollande's heartland, it is hard to find someone who backs him passionately.

One local resident said: "He's probably not the man of the moment but I think he's the one who'll do the least damage and who'll give us a gentle transition from the mistake of nature that we have at the moment."

Such lack of outright enthusiasm is not born out of apathy - people are politically engaged here. In the last general election, turnout in the Correze region was 87%.

At his local HQ, friend and fellow socialist Jean Marc Seijo Lopez shows us a gallery of campaign posters that span a decade, charting the development of a man who lost a few pounds and became a political heavyweight.

He puts any lack of excitement towards Mr Hollande down to this not being a 'feel-good' election.

"It's raining so that's bound to dampen enthusiasm. The situation that we are in... Europe and France is one of crisis and that plays an important role in people's mood."

In the cafe next door, a group of friends are debating the upcoming vote. For them, popularity is irrelevant in the face of a flagging economy.

They say they would be more than happy to share a drink with Francois Hollande and, in fact, many people have - but that does not necessarily make him someone that can solve France's problems.

In the Socialist office, piles of leftover campaign material are now redundant, consigned to the recycling pile.

Hopes are high that it has done its job in convincing the French electorate that as their slogan goes - the time for change is now.