French Regional Elections; 'Victory for Conservatives, Defeat for National Front'

Results from the second round of France's regional elections indicate that despite the public support for the far-right National Front party in the first round, they have not managed to secure a single victory. Conservatives have taken control of the majority of regions with seven councils, while the Socialists hold the majority in five regional councils. One region has been won by the Regionalists. The National Front, led by Marine Le Pen, the second generation of the Le Pen family, had achieved significant victories in the first round, leading in six regions. Estimates suggest that the economic situation and deadly attacks in Paris have influenced public support for the National Front. Despite the defeat of the far-right, the number of their supporters has increased more than ever. Some analysts say that the results of the regional elections, despite the rise in popularity of far-right extremists, show that the people of France are still standing against them. The publication 'Politico' states that the French remain 'strongly' opposed to the presence of the National Front in power centers. On the other hand, the Socialists, despite a decline in their popularity, did not suffer a heavy defeat. The network 'France 24' reports that they have managed to limit their losses, with two fewer regions than the conservative Republicans. The overall number of voters in the second round was at least 8% higher than in the first round. François Hollande, the President, and Jean-Yves Le Drian, the Minister of Defense, who also participated in the regional elections, won. Analyses indicate that traditional parties in the French political scene, namely the right (Republicans) and the left (Socialists), have once again managed to prevent the radical National Front from entering the decision-making and executive domain. A similar occurrence happened previously when Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the National Front, lost the presidential election to the right-wing Jacques Chirac in 2002. Despite all this, public support for the National Front has increased over the past years; according to AFP, 6.8 million votes have been cast for their candidates, which is more than the votes in the 2012 presidential election (6.4 million for Marine Le Pen). In the Paris region, the Republicans have managed to take power from the Socialists after 17 years. Meanwhile, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the Socialist Minister of Defense, has managed to retain his government position, winning the Brittany region with over half of the total votes. The National Front has directed its attacks towards traditional French parties in the early hours after the voting ended. Ms. Le Pen stated that her party will be 'the most important opposition' in the regional executive councils. Her young niece, Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, who faced defeat in the southern region of France, said that the party will 'double its efforts.' She urged National Front supporters not to lose hope. Marine Le Pen stated, 'Nothing can stop us.' The National Front has likened the traditional conservative and socialist parties to 'two sides of the same coin,' presenting itself as the only existing 'alternative.' Prominent figures from traditional parties have repeatedly warned about the rise of the National Front and continue to speak of the 'dangers' posed by this party in the future. Manuel Valls, the Socialist Prime Minister of France, stated that despite the results achieved, 'the threat from the far right has not disappeared, and there is still a long way to go.' Nicolas Sarkozy, the former President of France and leader of the conservatives, also mentioned that the 'warning' from the first round of elections should not be forgotten. The regional elections in France are held to form 'regional councils.' These councils have been established since 1972, and their role and influence have changed over the decades. There are a total of 18 regions in France; 13 are within borders, and five are cross-border. For parties, the results of these elections serve as a kind of forecast of public support in national elections.