France‘s far-right National Front topped the vote nationally in the first round of high-stakes regional elections on Sunday, provisional results showed, a major boost for the anti-immigration party.
Boosted by fears over the Nov. 13 Islamic State attacks that killed 130 people in Paris, stubbornly high unemployment and worries about immigration, Marine Le Pen’s party secured 30.6 percent of the vote nationally, an exit poll by Ifop-Fiducial poll showed on Sunday night.
The anti-Europe, anti-immigration party beat former president Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative Les Republicains party and their allies, who secured 27 percent, into second place. As expected, President Francois Hollande’s ruling Socialists came third, polling 22.7 percent.
In Henin-Beaumont, a National Front stronghold, the mood was ecstatic after the results were given out. Supporters shouted “Marine President” as Le Pen tried to walk through hordes of journalists and over excited National Front voters.
“The people (of France) has expressed itself. And with it France is standing up again, this vote confirms what previous ballots had forecast but that official observers didn’t want to admit. The National Movement (National Front) is France‘s first party despite being barely represented in parliament,” she told supporters after first exit poll results were given.
Ahead of a second round in a week’s time, the National Front (FN) has not won any region outright, but if the result is confirmed, it would be well placed to do well in a December 13 run-off. It has so far never ruled in anything bigger than less than a dozen French towns.
Le Pen herself came first in the north and her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen in the southeast, each gaining more than 40 percent of the votes in those two regions.
The FN has come first in six regions out of twelve, another poll for France 2 television showed, with the result for the thirteenth region, Paris, not yet known.
Winning even one regional constituency would be a major boost for Le Pen, who wants to use a base of locally elected officials to target the top levels of power. Her eye is on the 2017 presidential and general elections.
The key question will now be whether the Socialists, seen third behind the FN and the Republicans in regions which the far-right could win over on Dec.13, will pull out of the race in those regions to try to keep them out of power.
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy said in a speech on Sunday night that the National Front was not a solution.
His conservative Republicans party came second nationally in the first round of regional elections on Sunday, behind the far-right National Front but ahead of the Socialists.
“Tonight, all expressions of this exasperation must be taken into consideration and must be respected. Those expressions in favour of the candidates of Les Republicains and the candidates of the centre but also those in favour of the National Front. I want to tell those who made that choice that we can hear their worries but that they won’t obtain any answer from a party whose proposals would dramatically worsen France‘s situation and would create the conditions of dangerous disorders in their regions and in our country,” he said, adding he ruled out any alliance with the socialists in the second round.
“Tomorrow I will propose to our political bureau to turn down any alliance and any lists withdrawal. Clarity and consistency are the only political choices which are up to the interests of your regions, my dear compatriots, and of France. Dear fellow citizens I know the responsibility which is weighing on the shoulders of our political family. We have to remain clear headed about the weight of the task awaiting us,” he said.
French regions rule over local transport and economic development as well as high schools and vocational training, with beefed-up powers after a reform that cut their numbers from 22 to 13.
Reuters