Sarkozy’s French local election victory sets the stage for the run up to the next presidential election

France held local elections on 22 and 29 March, with Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP receiving the largest share of the vote ahead of Marine Le Pen’s Front National. Françoise Boucek writes that while there is still a long way to go, the UMP’s success, combined with disappointing results for François Hollande’s Socialist Party, sets the stage for the next French presidential election.