France’s far-right comes out strong in post-attacks vote

Several people linked to the 13 November terror attacks across the French capital are still being hunted by police.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Front welcomed the “magnificent result” and thanked her supporters in today’s press conference.

According to the Interior Ministry, the first round of the French regional elections saw the anti-Europe, anti-immigration party of Marine Le Pen leading in six out of 13 regions, increasing its share of the national vote to 28 percent from 11 percent in similar elections in 2010.

This is the first vote since since France’s 22 regions were combined into just 13 super regions. But a recent Ipsos/Steria survey suggested that Ms Le Pen’s FN could outperform France’s traditional parties. “The old system died tonight”. She is expected to make the second round run-off vote in the all-important May 2017 elections, where she could face Sarkozy. Her eye is on the 2017 presidential and parliamentary elections, with French politics now clearly a three-way race after Sunday’s election, ending decades of domination by the Socialists and conservatives.

The gains, if they translate into victories, would be the biggest and latest advance of the far-right in Europe. Left and right are divided over a strategy to block it.

“Our duty is not to be paralyzed by the polls and wait for the inevitable to happen, but to fight and fight till Sunday and prove the polls wrong”, she said.

Right-wing daily Le Figaro’s front page on Monday will read “The Shock”, while left-wing daily Liberation headlines “It’s getting closer”, referring to the party’s quest for power.

The arrival of hundreds of thousands of migrants in Europe and the exploits of IS have bolstered the discourse of the National Front, which denounces Europe’s open borders, what it calls the “migratory submersion” and what it claims is the corrupting influence of Islam on French civilization. The FN has focused for years on the “threat” posed by immigration, and particularly immigration from the Arab world.

The far-right has been steadily gaining traction in France over the past few years as Le Pen has continued its strident nationalism, while purging some of the party’s least savory elements.

Former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s centre-right Republicans came in second place nationally, with the Socialist Party – the party of the current President Francois Hollande – coming in a disappointing third place.

But Sarkozy confirmed that conservative candidates would contest the elections in the three regions where Socialist candidates are withdrawing from the December 13 runoff vote.

Analysts warn that even without a Socialist candidate in the run-off, the FN is heading for victory in the two northern and southern regions.

French regions have wide powers over local transport, education, and economic development.