FRANCE is reeling from a triple political shock. Within the space of 48 hours, Marine Le Pen’s populist National Front (FN) triumphed at the European elections, the Socialist Party of the president, François Hollande, bombed with their worst-ever national electoral result and the UMP, the main centre-right opposition, lost its leader, Jean-François Copé, in a party-financing scandal. The upshot is not just consternation on the left and right but an unstable party balance, which could affect French politics for years to come.The FN’s victory was spectacular on several counts. With around 25% of the vote, it was the first time the party has come top in a national election, pushing the UMP into second place with 21%, and crushing the Socialists, who got a dismal 14%. Ms Le Pen’s party quadrupled its 2009 European score, and was far ahead of the 18% of her father, Jean-Marie, when he got into the 2002 presidential run-off. In the north-west constituency, where Ms Le Pen stood, the FN bagged 34% of the vote.Although polls had predicted victory for the FN, it was nonetheless a huge shock when it happened. Manuel Valls, the...
from The Economist: Europe http://ift.tt/1oy4fB5
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