FN surges ahead in election polls
The far-right is in the lead in more than half of the mainland regions as the French get ready to vote
FRENCH people will vote on Sunday in the first round of council elections for France’s new reorganised regions in which the stand-out factor at present is a surge in the polls for the Front National.
The latest survey, by Ipsos/Sopra Steria for Le Monde, shows the FN ahead in the polls in seven out of 12 mainland regions (not including Corsica).
The poll also shows the right (Les Républicains and allies) ahead of the left (Parti Socialiste and allies), meaning France is looking at a major shake-up of regional politics after the last elections in which all regions were won by the left apart from Alsace.
At present no region is run by the Front National, a picture which could change this time with the regions showing the strongest support for the party at present being Nord-Pas-de-Calais then Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
France’s reorganised regions – many of them larger due to mergers of existing ones – come into being officially on January 1, and it will then be the task of the newly-elected councillors to decide on their final names by July 1, 2016.
Suggestions so far in the French media have included Midi d’Oc, Aquipoisin, or, for the region including Champagne-Ardenne, Lorraine and Alsace – Carla, or even ‘Heart of Europe’.
The councillors will also have to decide which city will be the regional capital.
Only people with French nationality who are on the electoral roll can vote in the elections and voting will be for party lists, with a second round held unless one list obtains an absolute majority in the first round. Only lists obtaining at least 10% will go through to the second round.
After the elections the newly-elected councillors vote for their regional president.
