France regional elections: a historic breakthrough of the National Front

The run-off vote is slated for December 13.

France’s far-right National Front party, capitalizing on terrorist attacks last month in Paris, was dominant in the first round of weekend regional elections.

The FN has in the past won control of less than a dozen French towns, but has never taken an entire region.

“We must hear and understand the profound exasperation of the French people”, he said.

The National Front’s strong performance has deeper roots.

Ms Le Pen condemned the PS for withdrawing some candidates from the second round, saying the PS was “neither loyal nor democratic” and was “treating its voters like ballot fodder”. “Do not allow the Republic to fall”.

Taking second place was the center-right Republicans Party of former President Nicolas Sarkozy with 27.2 percent, and President Francois Hollande’s Socialists came in third at 22.7 percent.

A total of 21,456 candidates represented in 171 lists are competing for seats in councils of 13 French regions to manage mainly local transport, education and unemployment. “For that, a region with several million inhabitants offers a flawless testing-ground, giving her party time to deliver some results before the presidential and legislative elections of 2017”.

“We are destined to realise the national unity this country needs”, she added, promising to lead voters “on the path to greatness and happiness”.

Of course triumph for the FN will not necessarily translate into power. Le Pen has worked to undo its image under father and co-founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen as an anti-Semitic party under father and has lured new followers from the left, the traditional right and among young people. She argues that France can not take in more Muslim immigrants. Support for the party has grown since the Paris attacks on November 13.

Le Pen is campaigning to run the northern Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, which includes the port city of Calais, a flashpoint in Europe’s migrant drama.

Marion Marechal-Le Pen did even better in the vast southeastern Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur on 41 percent.

I’m not a fan of Le Pen or her National Front party, but when the rest of France’s political establishment, including the so-called conservatives, is so consistently weak-minded, it should not surprise us that French voters would respond to Le Pen’s clarity and directness.

Party leader Marine Le Pen told BFM television Monday that “the French people have had enough of being treated like a herd of sheep”.

The election has been held under a state of emergency declared after the Paris attacks, which were claimed by Islamic State militants.