Sarkozy ‘proud’ of party’s French electoral win

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy expresses pride in his conservative party’s electoral comeback in regional elections.

Sarkozy pays “homage” to the voters who turned out for Sunday’s runoff elections after skipping the first round. The higher turnout may have played a role in keeping the far right National Front from winning any regional vote despite coming out on top in six of them in the first round.

“We are proud … of the results,” he tells supporters of his Republicans party. He says his party should take heed, however, of the high support for the anti-immigration National Front.

While his party will “refuse all compromise with the extremes,” he says, “We must now take the time to debate the fundamentals of great questions that are anguishing the French.” He notes security concerns, frustration with European unity, and unemployment — all issues that the National Front’s Marine Le Pen has used to rally support.

— AP