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Sarkozy suffers setback in French local election
2008-03-09
President Nicolas Sarkozy's centre-right UMP party faced big losses after the first round of French local elections on Sunday in a vote that could dent his political standing less than a year after he took office. An initial projection by the CSA pollsters showed the opposition Socialists and other left wing parties heading for 47.5 percent of the overall vote, with the UMP and other right wing parties heading for just 40 percent. "These are naturally not good results," said Patrick Devedjian, secretary general of the UMP party. The Socialists looked certain to maintain control of France's top two cities, Paris and Lyon, which they seized from the right in the last municipal vote in 2001. The left also hoped to win over France's third city, Marseille, as well as rightist strongholds like Strasbourg and Toulouse. Final results will come after the second round of the election on May 16. Sarkozy, elected triumphantly last May on a pledge to reform the French economy and modernize its institutions, has seen his popularity plunge as worries about the cost of living and disenchantment with his glitzy personal life have grown. Latest polls have showed his approval ratings as low as 37 percent against highs of more than 65 percent posted in the aftermath of his convincing election victory last May. Most voters said they intended to choose their mayors and councilors based on local considerations, but the vote was also seen as a plebiscite on Sarkozy, who has insisted that he will stick with his reform program whatever the result. Several members of the cabinet, including Economy Minister Christine Lagarde, are standing for local office and face tough battles that could also affect their standing in government in the event of a big defeat. More than 287,000 candidates were running in the cantonal and municipal elections over two weekends on March 9-16. The municipal ballot holds a special place in French politics, with many national political figures running for office as mayor to try to build a local power base. The Socialists, split by internal wrangles since the defeat of their candidate Segolene Royal in the presidential election, have sensed their first chance to hit back at Sarkozy, although party leaders have warned supporters not to be complacent.
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