Voters reject Sarkozy’s party in local elections

FRENCH president Nicolas Sarkozy was taking stock after local election results gave the opposition Socialists a launch pad for the 2012 presidential election and fresh hope for the far right.

The Socialist Party (PS) collected 36% in the second round of a poll to choose councillors in France’s 100 departments, according to nearly complete provisional results.

That outstripped Sarkozy’s UMP party on 20% and the far-right National Front (FN) on 12%.