French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is attributing her party’s historic gains in first-round regional elections to a people’s revolt against the political elite, as France’s mainstream parties seek to undo the National Front victories in six of the nation’s 13 regions before the final round.

France’s far right National Front has won more support than any other party in the first round of regional elections, according to polling agency projections.

FORMER IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was hit with a fresh complaint of attempted rape in France yesterday, a new hurdle to any political comeback, even though US sex assault charges against him may be lifted this month.

French voters have shrugged at politicians’ infidelities for decades but now some wonder if their tolerance has allowed criminal acts by one of the country’s best-known public figures to go unpunished.