Sarkozy Suffers Backlash in France's Local Elections

Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling center-right party faced big losses last night in the opening round of local elections - the president's first electoral test - in which some voters had threatened to punish him for France's sluggish economy, watered-down reforms and his irreverent personal style.

More than 36,700 cities, towns and villages voted for administrations of mayors and councilors in elections to be decided in a second round on March 16.

But a mood of Sarkophobia appeared to have handed victory to the left. A projection by CSA pollsters had the opposition Socialists and other leftwing parties heading for 47.5%, with the ruling UMP and other rightwing parties heading for 40%.

"These are naturally not good results," said Patrick Devedjian, secretary general of the UMP. Socialist leader François Hollande said voters had delivered Sarkozy a "warning" on his politics and France's economic malaise.

Initial results showed the Socialists well placed to win UMP strongholds such as Strasbourg and Toulouse, ruled by the right for 37 years. The left also hope to take France's second city, Marseille, although early surveys showed the sitting UMP mayor slightly ahead last night. Paris's Socialist mayor Bertrand Delanoë, who introduced the city's popular bike-hire scheme and tried to cut traffic and pollution, was predicted to keep his job. Smaller towns formerly held by the right, such as Reims, Rouen and Caen, were on track to go left.

Many municipal candidates in Sarkozy's center-right UMP party had removed the party logo from posters to distance themselves from the unpopular president.

Ten months after he swept to power vowing to modernize France, his popularity rating has sunk below 40% from a peak of 65%. He promised to reform labor laws, kick start the economy, and ease ordinary families' difficulties in meeting ends meet. But he has so far avoided major overhauls, instead offering mini-reforms. Although the government was boosted last week by unemployment falling to 7.8%, its lowest for 12 years, economic growth is slower than predicted.

Sarkozy's brash style, particularly his ostentatious courtship and whirlwind marriage to the model Carla Bruni have also annoyed voters. Outbursts such as "sod off, you arsehole", which he directed at a man who refused to shake his hand at an agricultural show, have not helped. A poll by the Ifop agency showed 21% of respondent voters wanted to use their ballots to punish Sarkozy, while 10% wanted to support him.

"We will hold our course on reforms," the prime minister, François Fillon, insisted last night. He shrugged off the Socialist lead, and urged voters not to confuse local issues with national ones.

The elections are important for many members of Sarkozy's government, especially those who have never stood for elected office before. A total of 22 ministers, two-thirds of the government, are standing. Some were elected straight away last night, but others, such as the finance minister Christine Lagarde, face tough battles. Early results showed the right trailing the Socialists in her Paris district.