The conservative party of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy came in the lead at the local elections in the country on Sunday.

The National Front party, led by Marinе Le Pen, on the other hand, achieved a stable result with approximately a quarter of the votes. Some of the main positions of the nationalists in France involve anti-immigration and anti-EU proposals.

France's socialist party came third, marking a decreased level of support. The party of the current French president Francois Hollande made modest comments regarding the results, merely noting that the turnout had been higher than expected - approximately 52% of people executed their right to vote.

“Masses of our citizens have turned away from the left because they think they have been lied to for the last three years,” former French President Sarkozy stated in an interview for a local TV station, as quoted by The Wall Street Journal.

Marine Le Pen has been widely considered the figure to watch out for, as the notable result has been seen as a sign for a projected win in France's upcoming Presidential elections.

“For Marine Le Pen, these elections are part of a long-term strategy, a staging post on her route map to the presidency,” said James Shields, professor of French politics at Aston University in a comment for The Wall Street Journal.

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