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| French regional elections: voting begins as moderates attempt to curb rise of far right | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| France has begun voting in the final round of regional elections, as the far-right Front National attempts to turn its historic first-round breakthrough into solid gains and take control of a region for the first time. | France has begun voting in the final round of regional elections, as the far-right Front National attempts to turn its historic first-round breakthrough into solid gains and take control of a region for the first time. |
| The anti-immigration, anti-Europe party topped the poll with 27.7% last weekend and came first in six out of 13 regions. But the final result remains uncertain, as polls suggest the FN could struggle to effectively take control of those areas. | The anti-immigration, anti-Europe party topped the poll with 27.7% last weekend and came first in six out of 13 regions. But the final result remains uncertain, as polls suggest the FN could struggle to effectively take control of those areas. |
| The party leader, Marine Le Pen, fighting to win leadership of the large northern region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, came first there with a historic score above 40% last weekend. But the ruling Socialist party withdrew its candidate from the region and urged its leftwing supporters to stage mass tactical voting in favour of Nicolas Sarkozy’s rightwing Les Républicains party to block her. Several polls this week have shown that Sarkozy’s candidate, Xavier Bertrand, with the backing of leftwing voters, will now squarely beat Le Pen. | The party leader, Marine Le Pen, fighting to win leadership of the large northern region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, came first there with a historic score above 40% last weekend. But the ruling Socialist party withdrew its candidate from the region and urged its leftwing supporters to stage mass tactical voting in favour of Nicolas Sarkozy’s rightwing Les Républicains party to block her. Several polls this week have shown that Sarkozy’s candidate, Xavier Bertrand, with the backing of leftwing voters, will now squarely beat Le Pen. |
| Likewise, in the southern Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, where Le Pen’s niece and rising star of the party, Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, hopes to win the region, the Socialists have also pulled out and polls show that Sarkozy’s candidate, the rightwing mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, could take enough leftwing votes to win the race. The polls in the south remain, however, within the margin of error. | Likewise, in the southern Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, where Le Pen’s niece and rising star of the party, Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, hopes to win the region, the Socialists have also pulled out and polls show that Sarkozy’s candidate, the rightwing mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, could take enough leftwing votes to win the race. The polls in the south remain, however, within the margin of error. |
| Related: Now more than ever, it is time to stand up for France’s brand of secularism | Natalie Nougayrède | Related: Now more than ever, it is time to stand up for France’s brand of secularism | Natalie Nougayrède |
| In two other regions, three-way battles will be close and the Front National stands a chance of winning. In the eastern region of Alsace-Champagne-Ardennes-Lorraine, Marine Le Pen’s party deputy, the MEP Florian Philippot, topped the poll in the first round. The local Socialist candidate has refused to pull out despite his party ordering him to, and the result remains hard to predict. In the eastern region of Bourgogne-Franche Comté, where the FN topped the poll last weekend, the far right also could do well. | In two other regions, three-way battles will be close and the Front National stands a chance of winning. In the eastern region of Alsace-Champagne-Ardennes-Lorraine, Marine Le Pen’s party deputy, the MEP Florian Philippot, topped the poll in the first round. The local Socialist candidate has refused to pull out despite his party ordering him to, and the result remains hard to predict. In the eastern region of Bourgogne-Franche Comté, where the FN topped the poll last weekend, the far right also could do well. |
| Winning control of any region would be unprecedented for the far right and a major boost for Marine Le Pen’s presidential ambitions for 2017. The party has argued that even if it doesn’t win control of any regions, its momentum in the first round shows it is now a central force in French politics. | Winning control of any region would be unprecedented for the far right and a major boost for Marine Le Pen’s presidential ambitions for 2017. The party has argued that even if it doesn’t win control of any regions, its momentum in the first round shows it is now a central force in French politics. |
| The Socialist prime minister Manuel Valls went on the offensive against the far right this week, warning that if the Front National made solid gains, it would foster divisions, and “this division could lead to civil war”. | The Socialist prime minister Manuel Valls went on the offensive against the far right this week, warning that if the Front National made solid gains, it would foster divisions, and “this division could lead to civil war”. |
| The outcome in the Paris region, now controlled by the left, remains unclear. Valérie Pécresse, a former rightwing minister under Sarkozy, is in a tight race against the Socialist speaker of parliament, Claude Bartolone. | The outcome in the Paris region, now controlled by the left, remains unclear. Valérie Pécresse, a former rightwing minister under Sarkozy, is in a tight race against the Socialist speaker of parliament, Claude Bartolone. |
| The final round of elections is taking place a month after 130 people died in the Paris attacks and the country is still under a state of emergency. | The final round of elections is taking place a month after 130 people died in the Paris attacks and the country is still under a state of emergency. |