France’s National Front failed to win any regional assemblies in runoff elections Sunday, dealing a blow to leader Marine Le Pen’s efforts to build on a historic first-round result and prepare the far-right party for government.
President Francois Hollande’s Socialists performed better than pollsters had predicted to hold five regions, with Nicolas Sarkozy’s Republicans picking up six, according to Interior Ministry projections based on partially counted results. Exit polls showed The Republicans also winning the Paris region and the Socialist candidate there conceded, bringing the balance of the 12 mainland regions to 7-5 in favor of the main opposition party.
