France is voting in the final round of regional elections, as Marine Le Pen’s far-right Front National attempts to take control of a region for the first time. But it’s facing mass tactical voting from leftwing supports in favour of Nicolas Sarkozy’s rightwing Les Républicains party.
How are you voting, and why? We want to hear your reasons for how you’re voting in the regional elections. Are you voting for the first time? Or are you voting tactically, and how does that feel?
Le Pen’s anti-immigration, anti-Europe party topped the poll with 27.7% last weekend and came first in six out of 13 regions. Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, in France’s northern region, gave more than 40% of votes to her party last weekend. In a bid to block her, the ruling Socialist party withdrew its candidate from the region urging supporters to vote in favour of Sarkozy. Several polls this week have shown that Sarkozy’s candidate, Xavier Bertrand, with the backing of leftwing voters, will now squarely beat Le Pen.
There’s a similar story in the southern Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. Socialists have pulled out their candidate in a hope of blocking Le Pen’s niece Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, urging voters to support rightwing Christian Estrosi. But the polls here are less certain and remain within the margin of error.
How are you voting, and why? Share your thoughts in the form below and we’ll use a selection in our reporting.
