FRENCH VOTERS dealt president Nicolas Sarkozy a sharp rebuke yesterday when the opposition Socialist Party took the lead over the ruling UMP in the first round of regional elections, exit polls suggested.
The Socialists won 30 per cent of votes, pushing the UMP into second place with 26.7 per cent.
The Europe Écologie alliance solidified its position as the third-biggest bloc in French politics by claiming 13.3 per cent, according to exit-poll figures released last night by TNS-Sofres. “The Socialist Party is the first party of France,” former Socialist Party leader François Hollande said. “It’s a satisfactory result.”
French education minister Luc Chatel cited the record abstention rate of about 52 per cent as a major factor in the governing party’s poor showing. “We are at a crossroads,” he said. “It’s now up to us to mobilise our voters.”
As no party appeared to have won a majority in any of France’s regions, attention was turning last night to negotiations that will take place between parties in advance of the second round of voting next Sunday. Every party list that receives more than 10 per cent of votes in a region qualifies for the second round, but lists with at least 5 per cent are allowed to merge with bigger lists to go through to the next round.
While the Socialist Party and Europe Écologie are expected to form alliances to ensure left-wing control in regional councils, the UMP has ruled out any deal with Jean-Marie Le Pen’s National Front, whose 12 per cent of the first-round vote yesterday was higher than pre-election opinion polls predicted.
The left already controls 20 of the 22 regions on mainland France, giving it control over public transport, schools and training in most of the country. Yesterday’s results leave open the possibility of a clean sweep for the left across the country. “The left can win all of the regions,” said Daniel Cohn-Bendit of the green alliance. “Europe Écologie is the third political force in France.”
Mr Sarkozy last week played down the national significance of the election – the last test of public opinion before the presidential election of 2012 – but said he would be attentive to the electorate’s message.
While ruling out a large-scale cabinet reshuffle before potentially awkward pension reforms are completed this year, he added: “That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t listen to what the French people have to say. We will see if a new political phase is appropriate after the pension reform.”
Socialist-led coalitions won 20 regions in the last elections in 2004, removing the UMP from power in 12. The UMP held on to just Corsica and Alsace, but pre-election polls showed it could be vulnerable in both regions.
Due to the convention that the head of state should remain above the political fray, not to mention the perception that his poor approval ratings could damage his party, Mr Sarkozy has generally stayed out of the campaign. Instead, the UMP’s de-facto leader throughout has been the rejuvenated prime minister, François Fillon, whose approval ratings are now higher than the president’s.