Setbacks for Le Pen, Macron parties in regional vote

PARIS: France’s far-right led by Marine Le Pen insisted Monday it could recover from a disappointing first round of regional polls marked by a strong result from the traditional right and another feeble performance by President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling party.

The vote on Sunday was widely watched as the last national electoral test ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections next year, which polls currently suggest will be a close race between Le Pen and Macron. The National Rally (RN) of Le Pen was well short of forecast gains, while Macron’s centrist Republic on the Move party received barely over 10 percent of ballots in an election marked by record high abstention.