Support for France's Socialist Party has plummeted lately, partly due to the fierce rivalry between party boss Martine Aubry and ex-presidential candidate Segolene Royal. The two tried to bury the hatchet for a European election rally on Wednesday. But for how long?

The technician with the local radio station had a vital role to play on Wednesday evening. He was measuring the audience applause and cheers at a rally in the Trocadiere music hall in the French town of Rezé near Nante, using a digital recorder to see which of the two speakers got the better reaction: Segolene Royal or Martine Aubry.