Sarkozy's conservative coalition receives setback in French elections

[Me.]

“PARIS -- President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative coalition suffered an embarrassing setback in French regional elections Sunday, with the Socialists and their allies winning 54 percent of the vote to the conservatives' 35 percent, according to nearly complete results.

The outcome, although it concerned regional assemblies, was widely interpreted as a sign that Sarkozy has lost momentum since his election in 2007, in large measure because of the global economic crisis that has pushed unemployment in France above 10 percent.

For many, the national impact of the vote also suggested that the squabbling Socialists, if they can maintain their alliance with the growing Europe Ecology Party, might have a chance in the next presidential vote, in 2012, despite internal differences, an unsettled ideology and the lack of a star-power candidate.

An abstention rate of just under 50 percent, however, was taken as an indication that many of the 43.4 million French voters are so disillusioned by their political leadership -- on the left as well as the right--that they did not bother to go to the polls. The abstention rate was also high in the elimination round of voting one week ago.” …Cont…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/21/AR2010032102269.html