(From AFP)
France’s far-right National Front (FN) saw record gains in the first round of regional polls, held under a state of emergency just three weeks after Islamic extremists killed 130 people in Paris.
Despite the strong result, FN faces an uphill battle to clinch a run-off vote next week after Socialists withdrew candidates in an attempt to block it from power.
The FN came first with around 28% of the vote nationwide and topped the list in at least six of 13 regions, according to final estimates from the interior ministry.
FN leader Marine Le Pen and her 25-year-old niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen broke the symbolic 40% mark in their respective regions, shattering previous records for the party as they tapped into voter anger over a stagnant economy and security fears linked to Europe’s refugee crisis.Read More