[intendepods]

NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/28/wo.../28france.html

The opposition Socialist Party decisively won French local elections on Sunday, and the far-right National Front surged, putting pressure on President Nicolas Sarkozy from two sides a year before he faces the electorate.

With most votes counted in the second round of polls to elect cantonal councils in half of France, the left had 36 percent, almost double the ruling party’s 18.6 percent.

The anti-immigrant National Front, which has surged in opinion polls under its new leader, Marine Le Pen, scored 11 percent even though it put up candidates in only a minority of departments. In some areas it scored as much as 40 percent.

The polls will probably be the last big test of sentiment before the April 2012 election.