France election 2015: Exit polls show Marine Le Pen’s far-right Front National fails to win a single region
France’s far-right party Front National has failed to win a single region in the second round of regional elections held in the country today in a surprise u-turn.
The first round of the vote showed the party, led by Marine Le Pen, taking the lead in several regions, with voters flocking to it in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead.
Front National’s recent popularity has not translated to any real power, however, as exit polls show that the party, third-largest nationwide, failed to capture its first French region.
Marine Le Pen put on a brave face despite the disappointing results for her party, telling supporters that “nothing will stop us” and claiming that the election had been a “great success” for Front National.
Exit polls suggest that conservatives finished first in five of the country’s 13 regions, with socialists winning at least three.
Voter turnout was close to 60 per cent, according to France’s national statistics office INSEE, roughly 10 percentage points higher than in the first round.