French President Jacques Chirac’s centre-right government has faced a key mid-term test at first-round regional elections. Polls took place across France amid confirmed predictions of a voter backlash. Photo by AFP.
Voters dealt a blow to France's governing conservatives in Sunday's first round of regional elections, giving the leftist opposition about 40 percent of the vote and boosting hard-line conservatives, according to unofficial results. Exit polls showed the party of President Jacques Chirac receiving 34 percent of the vote, while the far right received about 17 percent. Voters were choosing among 17,658 candidates running for hundreds of council seats in 26 regions.