France set to punish Sarkozy in regional vote

It is the first election held in France since a year-long recession sent unemployment soaring to its highest level in a decade.

France voted Sunday in regional polls forecast to punish Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling party, the last ballot-box test of his popularity ahead of the 2012 presidential election.

Voters struggling from the global economic slowdown are expected to give the governing UMP party a drubbing at the polls during the two-round vote on Sunday and March 21.

It is the first election held in France since a year-long recession sent unemployment soaring to its highest level in a decade, with nearly three million people now out of a job.

"I don't think the national government is really tackling social welfare -- in terms of jobs for example," said Patricia Abela, a 41-year-old insurance worker, after voting for the Socialists in southwest Paris.

Christine Eluard, a 47-year-old child minder, said she cast her ballot for the local members of Sarkozy's party but judged that on the whole the elections were seen "rather more as a vote of censure" for the country's leaders.

Sarkozy is struggling with his lowest approval ratings since his 2007 election and commentators agree he no longer looks unbeatable in 2012.

"The balance of power is extremely favourable for the left," said Frederic Dabi, a director at the IFOP polling agency, predicting a heavy defeat for the UMP.

"It's a regional election, but on March 21, we will already be taking that turn toward the presidential campaign."

The Socialists currently control 20 of France's 22 regions on the mainland plus Corsica, along with the four councils in overseas territories.

Polls suggest the Socialists could even score what their leader Martine Aubry has called "a grand slam" -- taking all 26 regions.

Pollsters predicted a record low turnout, reflecting a loss of faith in French politicians' ability to ease the lingering pain of the 2008-2009 crisis.

The interior ministry said that overall turnout was just over 16 percent at around midday.

Sarkozy sought to downplay the likely result and said there will be no major government reshuffle even if the 20 members of his cabinet who are on the ballot are defeated.

"The vote on March 14 and 21 is a regional one. Its ramifications are therefore regional," he told Le Figaro magazine on Friday.

The 55-year-old leader was elected on a mandate to rev up France's sluggish economy and bring unemployment down to five percent, but the worst recession since World War II has driven it up to double figures.

Social tensions also hover in the background. The government's public debate on "national identity" has raised racial sensitivities and been widely slammed as a divisive project that stigmatises immigrants.

Meanwhile the far-right National Front led by Jean-Marie Le Pen, who at the age of 81 may be running in in his last election, is expected to win nearly 10 percent of the vote, according to a CSA poll published Friday.

Some 44 million voters are invited to choose 1,880 councillors from party lists to control budgets for regional transport, secondary education and local economic development.

Last-minute polls showed the UMP tied with the Socialists with around 30 percent of the vote each, but the Socialists may come out on top on March 21 by picking up voters who backed parties eliminated in the first round.