Drubbing for the right as France loses faith in Nicolas SarkozySocialists and allies scoop 54% of vote, say pollsters, but left fails to pull off 'grand slam' in regional elections
Lizzy Davies in Paris
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 21 March 2010
Nicolas Sarkozy's beleaguered rightwing party suffered widespread defeat at the ballot box today but managed to stave off a total annihilation by a reinvigorated Socialist party, exit polls indicated tonight.
According to initial projections by OpinonWay, the ruling UMP party garnered just 36% of votes nationwide and was comprehensively trounced by an alliance of socialists, ecologists and the far left that won 54%.
However, contrary to the hopes of Socialist party leader Martine Aubry, they did not appear to have pulled off a grand slam in the second and final round of the regional elections.
Tonight critics of Sarkozy, who as head of state was not officially involved in the election but whose unpopularity has been blamed for his party's dismal performance, lost no time in pointing the finger at a president whose approval ratings are at record lows. Aubry declared it an "unprecedented victory". ...........(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/21/right-france-nicolas-sarkozy-socialists-elections