Voting has finished in France’s local elections and the far-right National Front looks likely to have won power in two towns.
Exit polls and partial tallies on Sunday evening show the party are on track to secure Beziers and Frejus in the south of the country, adding to the northern town of Henin-Beaumont which they won outright in the first round last week.
Turnout was low for France with an estimated 38 percent of eligible voters staying at home.
The elections are being seen as a referendum on President Francois Hollande’s first two years in office and his ruling Socialist party – which is deeply unpopular – is bracing itself for losses.
A government reshuffle is expected in the next few days with Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault likely to be a victim.
