President Nicolas Sarkozy’s drive to persuade voters he is the best man to lead France to economic recovery suffered a blow yesterday, with a survey indicating growth has ground to a halt as he struggles to make headway over his Socialist election rival.

Two weeks before the elections begin, the conservative’s lead over Francois Hollande is becalmed

Two weeks before the presidential elections begin, the conservative’s lead over Francois Hollande is becalmed or shrinking for the first round on April 22 and he is still trailing in the runoff next month, three opinion polls showed yesterday.

With unemployment claims at over a 12-year high, people’s purchasing power dwindling and France stripped of its prized AAA status with one credit rating agency, the Bank of France offered Mr Sarkozy’s economic record little respite.

A survey published by the central bank estimated that the economy failed to grow in the first three months this year, after expanding 0.2 per cent in the final quarter of 2011, and there were no signs a strong recovery in the next few months.

Mr Sarkozy saw his lead for the first ballot slip to half a percentage point from two points a week ago in a poll by Ipsos Logica, with 29 per cent support to Hollande’s 28.5 per cent.

The same poll showed Hollande retaining a 10-point lead in voting intentions for the May 6 runoff with 55 per cent to Mr Sarkozy’s 45 per cent, unchanged from a week earlier.