French President Nicholas Sarkozy on the streets of Southern France.<br/> <br />As he prepares to campaign ahead of April's presidential election he is booed.<br/> <br />Crowds of left-wing supporters, and some Basque separatists heckled the French president.<br/> <br />Eventually he sought refuge in a bar.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICHOLAS SARKOZY SAYING:<br/> <br />"We are in France and the French president will go wherever he wants in the French Republic. And if there is a minority of louts, then they can get lost. In five years I have never bowed down to the pressure of the streets and I will certainly not start now for Basque separatists."<br/> <br />In a tough bid for reelection, Sarkozy is selling himself as a strong pair of hands to pull France through economic turmoil with structural reforms.<br/> <br />Whereas his socialist opponent Francois Hollande is pushing for a hefty tax on the wealthy to invest in education and jobs.<br/> <br />Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters
