Sarkozy's party loses regional election - exit polls

[eppur_se_muova]

Source: BBC

President Sarkozy's centre-right party has suffered a heavy defeat in the French regional elections, early projections of the voting suggest.

Exit polls suggest the Socialist-led opposition alliance took 54% of the vote with Mr Sarkozy's UMP on 36%.

If confirmed the results leave the UMP in control of only one of France's 22 regions, the Alsace region in the east.

These elections are the last major electoral test in France before the presidential election in 2012.


Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8579232.stm

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And another neocon is on the way down ...

"Regime change" starting to take on a different complexion, now, isn't it?

[FrenchieCat]

1. My Mom was born in Nancy, France.....which is in the Alsace-Lorraine region!

:bounce:

[frebrd]

2. Good for the French! eom

:applause:

[AzNick]

8. Sarkozy is more liberal than Obama

And the socialists have a tendency of building alliances with the left of the left.

I do love some of the socialist leaders, especially Martine Aubry.

Never been a fan of Royal, I think she's a total air head.

[movonne]

3. Now if we could get rid of pope ratzo...

[Q3JR4]

21. Like all of the other popes before him.

Ratty is going to be there until he dies.

Q3JR4.

[pattmarty]

4. Oh, oh first the Muslims and now the Socialists. Run away!!!! Hide........

.....the kids, be very, very scared. This will be enough material for Beck for a month.:sarcasm:

[Kingofalldems]

5. K and R for Sarkozy's pal

He won't like this at all. :shrug:

[Betty Karlson]

6. Don't hatch your bets yet:

The socialists are still in for a "primary" of sorts - and it is expected that this primary will be exceptionally atrocious because of the personal scores Ms Royal (the last Socialist presidential candidate) and Mr Hollande will settle. The ideal compromise candidate, Bertrand Delanoë, has a weakness of his own (France is still fairly homophobic).

This acrimonious affair could still sink the Socialists' chances of ousting Nicholas Sarkozy, no matter how much the general populace despises "Président Bling-Bling".

[AzNick]

7. Not surprising: France oscillates healthily between left and right

[Dappleganger]

9. Their 'right'

is like our far left, too.

[AzNick]

10. They are centrists, actually

And refused an alliance with the Front National, the right of the right party.

The left has no issue making alliance with the communists.

[Bicoastal]

11. Depending on the previous evening's wine consumtion.

I love the French.

[AzNick]

13. You may want to avoid stereotypes, then ...

Would be like a fruit drink and watermelon joke, IMHO.

Yes, I am French.

[Bicoastal]

14. Sorry.

I really do love the French, though, and they DO love their wine--unless my experiences there were the exception to the rule.

Viva la France!

[izquierdista]

19. Don't mind him

Looking to turn cultural values into a stereotype to get offended over.

[Betty Karlson]

16. I thought it was more a penchant for "cohabitation":

During his presidency, François Mitterand was often cobfronted with RMP-led opposition majorities, Jacques Chirac often had to share power with a socialist prime-minister... Sarkozy is experiencing nothing new (except maybe another marriage or so).

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. Sego?

[AzNick]

15. Aubry is a lot smarter than Royal

They used Royal as a front woman to try and gather as many votes as they could against Sarkozy, but I believe Aubry would have wrapped these elections easily.

Unfortunately, she mothered the 35-hour reform, which turned out to be a fiasco rejected by most folks.

[Betty Karlson]

17. See response # 6. N/T

[harmonicon]

18. Sarkozy is no neocon

I'm not crazy about the man. Hell, I tagged along for a protest march in Strasbourg the night he was elected, but he's no neo-con. He's shown himself to be a racist and a pig, but politically probably about as centrist, or maybe even to the left of Obama.

[muriel_volestrangler]

20. With 97% counted, 52% for the Socialists, 35% UMP

updated at link in OP.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon acknowledged the defeat, admitting the left's "success", and is expected to offer his resignation.
...
However, Mr Sarkozy is unlikely to accept Mr Fillon's resignation as the president's own approval ratings are at an all-time low, our correspondent says.
...
The poor election results have prompted Mr Sarkozy to plan a "modest reshuffle" of the government, his chief of staff Claude Gueant told the Catholic daily La Croix.

A poll now suggests that 57% of people would like to see a change of government after these regional polls.

[Judi Lynn]

22. Sarkozy suffers setback as Socialists, allies win in French regional elections

Sarkozy suffers setback as Socialists, allies win in French regional elections
By Edward Cody
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, March 22, 2010

PARIS -- President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative coalition suffered an embarrassing setback in French regional elections Sunday, with the Socialists and their allies winning 54 percent of the vote to the conservatives' 35 percent, according to nearly complete results.

The outcome, although it concerned regional assemblies, was widely interpreted as a sign that Sarkozy has lost momentum since his election in 2007, in large measure because of the global economic crisis that has pushed unemployment in France above 10 percent.

For many, the national impact of the vote also suggested that the squabbling Socialists, if they can maintain their alliance with the growing Europe Ecology Party, might have a chance in the next presidential vote, in 2012, despite internal differences, an unsettled ideology and the lack of a star-power candidate.

An abstention rate of just under 50 percent, however, was taken as an indication that many of the 43.4 million French voters are so disillusioned by their political leadership -- on the left as well as the right -- that they did not bother to go to the polls. The abstention rate was also high in the elimination round of voting one week ago.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/21/AR2010032102269.html?wprss=rss_world

[samsingh]

23. i hope France goes back to leaning left. this is good news