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                   Conservatives Win France's Local Elections

   by VOA News

   France's conservative UMP party, led by former President Nicolas
   Sarkozy, placed first in Sunday's local elections.

   President Francois Hollande's Socialist party did not expect to win,
   but had encouraged French citizens to come out to vote against Marine
   Le Pen's far-right National Front, also known as the FN party.

   Initial projections gave UMP 31 percent of the vote with FN receiving
   24 percent. The ruling Socialists trailed with 19 percent.

   The UMP and the Socialists will be able to call on allies when voters
   go to the polls in next Sunday's runoff election. Analysts say UMP and
   Socialist voters will likely switch allegiance in the runoff to
   whatever party will keep FN out of office.

   Political observers say the FN, with its anti-immigration, anti-Islam
   and anti-euro platform, will be hard pressed to find allies.

   Both the Socialists and the UMP, who are normally rivals, have issued
   warnings about France's future if the FN were to come to power.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/conservatives-win-france-local-electi
   ons/2690963.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/conservatives-win-france-local-elections/2690963.html