Marine Le Pen’s National Front party shocked French socialists yesterday with wins in local elections.
![](https://cdn.static-economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/full-width/images/print-edition/20140329_LDP002_0.jpg)
From itv.com:
French voters have dealt a severe blow to Francois Hollande’s Socialist government in local elections.
The anti-immigration far right, which claims that France’s large Muslim population is “Islamicising” the nation, made solid advances, fulfilling National Front promises to begin building a grass-roots base.
Socialist leaders conceded defeat in the final round of the voting seen as a referendum on unpopular President Hollande, who was expected to reshuffle the cabinet in an effort to give his government a boost.
Vive la France !