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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Slideshow Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared Wal-Mart to slash grocery prices 19 Mar 2010 US states sue EPA to stop greenhouse gas rules 19 Mar 2010 Massive sandstorm turns Beijing's streets yellow | Video 20 Mar 2010 L.A. eatery charged with serving whale meat closes 20 Mar 2010 F-35 fighter fleet's price may be double forecast 19 Mar 2010 Wal-Mart to slash grocery prices 19 Mar 2010 New password-stealing virus targets Facebook 17 Mar 2010 Travel Picks: Top 10 Mediterranean beach towns 19 Mar 2010 Brewing tensions between the Tea Party and GOP 18 Mar 2010 China vows to hit back if targeted by U.S. on yuan 6:43am EDT Sarkozy faces heavy defeat in French regional poll James Mackenzie PARIS Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:37am EDT Related News Sarkozy faces heavy defeat in French regional poll Sat, Mar 20 2010 < 1 / 3 > View Full Size PARIS (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy's center-right party faces heavy losses in regional elections on Sunday that could affect the pace of reform before the 2012 presidential vote. World The center-right suffered one of its worst losses in years in the first round of the ballot, with Sarkozy's UMP party scoring 26 percent of the vote compared to 29 percent for the Socialists and 50 percent for leftist parties combined. High abstention levels, which saw more than one in two voters stay home, and a surge in support for the far-right National Front, which won almost 12 percent, underlined the gloomy message for the government ahead of the final runoff. The second round of voting kicked off at 8 a.m. (3 a.m. EST) on Sunday and was due to run in the big cities until 8.00 p.m. (3 p.m. EST), when an initial estimate will be released. By midday, turnout was running at 18.57 percent, slightly higher than at the same point in the first round last weekend, according to Interior Ministry figures. Fears about issues ranging from jobs to immigration and security, as well as resentment about issues such as bank bailouts and executive pay have all fed attacks on Sarkozy. As head of state, he has largely stayed out of the campaign but his popularity has dived since he won plaudits for his energetic handling of the financial crisis in 2008. He has already promised a pause in reform next year and a heavy loss in the last midterm election before 2012 could make him more cautious about pushing potentially painful cuts in the big projects which remain in 2010. BAROMETRE OF PUBLIC OPINION The president is planning a major overhaul of the pensions system, including raising the retirement age, and he also needs to rein in France's public deficit, which is expected to reach 8.2 percent of gross domestic product in 2010. He could find both efforts more difficult if serious electoral losses undermine public support for change in the euro zone's second biggest economy. The powerful CGT union has already called for a day of protest over wages and pensions on Tuesday. Other groups, such as farmers, may also see a big defeat for the center-right as an opportunity to put pressure on the government. The 26 regional councils, responsible for issues such as school buildings and local transport, have very little economic power and normally attract scant interest even inside France. The Socialists won 20 of the 22 mainland regions in the last equivalent election in 2004, but were soundly defeated in the presidential election three years later. Still, the vote is being closely watched as a barometer of public opinion and the Socialists are hoping they can build momentum with a strong showing. Socialist leader Martine Aubry has established some sense of order in her chronically divided party since taking over late in 2008 and she has struck up an alliance for the second round of the election with a newly resurgent Green party. Just as worrying for the government has been increasingly open criticism of the leadership from within the UMP, where some well-known party figures including former Prime Minister Alain Juppe have called for a change of course. Earlier this month, Sarkozy dismissed suggestions of a major reshuffle but there was growing speculation last week that at least some of his ministers may lose their jobs after the vote. World Add a Comment More from Reuters Nailing down the votes Democrats are getting closer to the number of votes needed to pass Obama's overhaul of healthcare. Full Article | Video Cloud lifts for healthcare investors Q&A: What does healthcare reform mean for Obama? Factbox: Healthcare overhaul has few final steps Healthcare Reform Witness from the hurt locker For Reuters journalist May Naji, a Iraqi native, some things are impossible to forget even after she left home to work abroad. Full Article A look back at seven years in Iraq World Top playgrounds of the rich Want to vacation like CEOs and celebrities? A men's website has listed its top towns that border the magical Mediterranean. Full Article Slideshow: Inside Ireland 48 hours in Istanbul Lifestyle © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Analyst Research Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Labs Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

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