France's 2nd regional vote begins after Sarkozy defeat

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121334§ionid=351020603


In France, people have started voting in the final round of regional elections expected to deal a tough blow to President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The latest polls indicate that Sarkozy and his ruling party, Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), could lose all 22 metropolitan regions on mainland France.

Despite UMP's comfortable majority in the national parliament, the Sunday ballot is expected to be a 'humiliating' setback for Sarkozy after opposition Socialists gained the upper hand in the first round of the metropolitan elections meant to reshuffle local governments and maintain public buildings and institutes.

The Socialists managed to garner 30 percent of the vote compared to UMP's 26.5 percent ballot collection in March 14 elections which suffered from a low turnout.

The latest polls are the last big national test for the governing body before the presidential election in 2012.

Despite Sarkozy's brushing of the regional vote as a local ballot, the French president is, however, expected to make partial changes to his cabinet in the coming days.

Political analysts say Sarkozy's declining popularity is due to rising unemployment, the growing strain on public finances, and a series of controversies over issues ranging from lavish executive pay to immigration and security.