The left won the French cantonal and municipal elections of 9 and 16 March. The advantage is not much (49.5% vs 47.5% of the vote), but the Socialists this have managed to consolidate in their two big mayoralties (Paris and Lyon) and snatch right of Toulouse, Strasbourg, Reims, Metz, Amiens, Caen, Angers, Saint Etienne, Blois and Angouleme. The Gaullists, however, retained Marseille, the second city of the Republic. For social democracy, this is important because they show his first victory in a long time since they lost before the elections both for municipalities nationwide, as well as the last two legislative and presidential last three. France, like Spain, showed the tendency to go towards the bipolarization between Socialists and centroderechistas, in favour of the first. Bayrou, who wanted to encourage a strong pole of Center, failed to be elected and their democratic movement was strangled. The far right and the hard left lost weight.
This is the first electoral setback for Sarkozy, who makes months He was a right-wing majority in presidential elections and also parliamentary. He promised a turn in the Gallic conservatism. During the docenio of Chirac (1995-2007) France resisted to diplomacy and the economic model Americans, but Sarkozy raises dismantle both social protectionism and move closer to Bush. However, in ten months in power Sarkozy has been wasting his image due to the crisis of the economy and their own environment. This defeat is not Sarkozy’s Waterloo but this will encourage members to resist his monetarist reforms. European conservatives want to stop that streak in favor of the Socialists in Spain and France in 45 days London when choose Mayor. While Red Ken wants to follow the path of his Delano comrade who won re-election in Paris, British polls nationally give labour its worst percentage in 25 years: 16 points under the tories. Original author and source of the article.