Sarkozy’s Right-Wing Party Facing Election Defeat

Nicolas Sarkozy's centre-right UMP party appears to be heading for defeat in French regional elections, reports BBC News.

Initial results suggest the opposition Socialist party has taken a strong lead in the first round of voting.

The outcome will be a major blow for Sarkozy in the last nationwide poll before presidential and parliamentary elections due in 2012.

Sunday's election took place with President Sarkozy's popularity rating at an all-time low and unemployment at 10%.

Near complete results suggested the Socialists were likely to emerge as the largest single party, and that the centre-left and Greens would get more than half the vote.

The leader of the Socialists, Martine Aubry, said the result was a blow to President Sarkozy's government.

"By this vote the French people have sent a clear and strong message of refusal to a France that is divided, anguished and weakened," she said.