A week before the climax of France's presidential election, Nicolas Sarkozy, the neo-Gaullist favourite, yesterday delivered a striking show of force as he attacked the leftwing "heirs of May 1968" in the biggest rally of the campaign so far.

Mr Sarkozy blamed the "moral crisis" in France today - including violent crime, rebellious youth, lazy benefit claimants, uncontrolled immigration and corrupt company bosses - on the social revolution sparked by student protests in the French capital almost 40 years ago.