Sarkozy set for parliamentary victory

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, aiming to push through his reform-driven renaissance of the country, looked set to win a powerful majority as the French voted in today’s run-off elections for parliament. The only question was the size of the victory – large or massive.

Final polls on Friday suggested the president’s conservative party, the Union for a Popular Movement, or UMP, and its allies would take more than 400 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly, all but burying the opposition Socialist Party and other rivals.