French Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal yesterday unveiled a 100-point platform with an emphasis on social programs, including a higher minimum wage and increased payments for the unemployed.

The candidate has waited to unveil her platform until now, with just 10 weeks to go until the election's first round. She says she has been in a "listening phase" of her campaign, collecting ideas from ordinary French people during debates and in forums on her website.

Royal's team released her platform ahead of a highly awaited speech at a convention center in the Paris suburbs.

The 53-year-old former environment minister promised to raise the monthly minimum wage to 1,500 euros ($1,950) from the current 1,254 euros ($1,630) "as soon as possible," according to her platform, which was released to journalists.

Royal promised to boost pensions for retirees by 5 percent, and she said the jobless should continue to receive 90 percent of their salary for their first year of unemployment.

In the 18-page document, Royal also said she would reform the banking system to put a ceiling on certain fees banks can charge customers.

Royal's main competitor in the two-round, April-May race is expected to be conservative Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy. Though they had been neck-and-neck in the polls for months, he has recently made gains, while her poll numbers have dropped.

Sarkozy, who has been trying to soften his image to appeal to voters on the left, gave a speech criticizing Royal yesterday by arguing that her ideas cater only to Socialist Party members.

"I want to speak to the French, all the French," he said. "For me, they are all equal in rights and duties. That's the difference."

The Socialists have been counting on Royal's platform speech to give her a boost though they stress she will not put all her cards on the table yesterday. More proposals are expected in the coming weeks.

Source: China Daily/Agencies