Left-wing victory in regional ballot
Governing UMP party holds on to just one region in mainland France as Socialist Party and left-wing allies triumph
THE Socialist Party has confirmed its position as France's most popular political party, winning in all but two of 22 regions in yesterday's elections.
Left-wing parties averaged 54.3% nationally in the second round of the regional elections, beating the governing UMP at 36.1%.
The Front National came in third place on 8.7% nationally - although the far-right party only stood in half of the regions. The centrist MoDem party scored just 0.9%.
Socialist Party leader Martine Aubry said: "The public have shown their rejection of the policies of the president and government."
UMP secretary-general Xavier Bertrand said the clear victory by the left was "disappointing".
Languedoc-Roussillon was won by a coalition of left-wing parties - excluding the Socialists - led by current region president Georges Frêche.
The other PS defeat was in Alsace, which remained in UMP hands. The UMP won two other regions overseas: French Guiana and Reunion.
The Front National scored 22.9% in the Paca region, led by Jean-Marie Le Pen, who described the national results as proof of "the collapse of Sarkozyism".
His daughter Marine helped the FN to a result of 22.2% in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
Voter turnout, at 51.2%, was up on last week's first round which saw a record low turnout of 46.3%.
