The once-powerful Socialist Party, which now controls all but one of France’s regions, came in a poor third place in the first round and pulled out of key races in hopes of keeping the National Front from gaining power. It was another blunder for Sarkozy, who during his address chose instead to pay homage to “the refusal of any compromise with the extremes”. Nonetheless, the fact the system, combined with the manner in which the two major national parties basically worked together at the local level to deny victories to the Front in races that they otherwise likely would have won must be particularly frustrating to supporters, Indeed, the reports regarding the manner in which Marine Le Pen responded to the outcome would indicate precisely that, and perhaps provides a preview of the campaign French voters will see from her and her party as France heads toward Presidential and national legislative elections in 2017.
Advertisement
Marine Le Pen blamed such scare tactics and a political system that tries to lock out “patriots” for the party’s losses.
“I don’t think this is a very reliable result but I am very happy Front National did not win”, adds another resident, Marine. With Marine Le Pen now polling to reach round two of in 2017, there can only be one other candidate in the presidential run-off. That not only stands Ms Le Pen in good stead for the presidential elections of 2017 but changes the entire French political landscape. While the Paris region was never expected to go to the far right, her remarks underscored the national dimension of the stakes.
“We are proud… of the results”, he told supporters of his Republicans party Sunday night. The strategy, combined with a relentless focus on France’s stagnant economy and record joblessness, helped the party take a record 6.82 million votes Sunday, 27 percent of the total.
Speaking as results came in, she said in the weeks ahead she will “rally all the French, of all origins, who want to take part with us”.
The atmosphere in the hall in Henin-Beaumont where National Front supporters were gathered to watch election results was grim, in stark contrast to a week earlier when Le Pen won more than 40 percent of the vote.
That decision left her open to face prosecution in France, but on Tuesday the court in Lyon cleared her of all charges. The party has extended its influence with more than 350 councilors on regional councils.
In the eastern region, where the Socialists did not withdraw but where the FN also did well in the first round, the centre right won 48.4 percent against the FN’s 36.4 percent, according to a separate poll by TNS-Sofres-One Point.
The Socialists, now in power, who have been criticized for implementing neoliberal economic policies, opted during the campaign to promote union with the center right, warning radical-left voters that they will be responsible for a far-right victory.
In both regions there was only one alternative in the run-off – ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative Republicans.
While polls have put Le Pen’s support at more than 20 percent in the first round of a presidential election if it were held today, she is the country’s most disliked politician.
The anti-immigration party stunned the French political establishment last week when it claimed the largest share of the national vote in the first round of regional elections. The nationalist, anti-immigration, anti-European party was here to stay.
Party leader Marine Le Pen and her niece lost their bids to run two French regions in elections Sunday seen as an important test for the anti-immigrant party. But, paradoxically, the FN’s strength, by weakening Mr Sarkozy’s conservatives, could help the Socialists cling to more regions than they hoped.
Advertisement
In the southern Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, losing candidate Marion Maréchal-Le Pen pressed that logic far enough to call her opponents’ victory a defeat. Conservative Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi was projected to win about 55 percent.
