French President Nicolas Sarkozy holds a May Day rally at Trocadero Square, in front of the Eiffel Tower, on May 1, 2012. Sarkozy dedicated the rally to France's workers and emphasized the importance of maintaining French values. Among those who attended the rally were prime minister François Fillon and senator Jean-Pierre Raffarin.
The rally took place one day before the pre-election debate between Sarkozy and his socialist opponent, François Hollande. French voters will decide between the two candidates in the second round of the French presidential elections on May 6.