Fallout from the French Regional Elections

The Left has triumphed in France's regional elections over the weekend. While turnout was at an all-time low, it is still a significant indictment of Sarkozy's agenda three years into his Presidency. While his administration has weathered the economic crisis fairly well, there has been a shortage of tangible achievements. He has also been hampered by self-inflected distractions, like the national identity debate and his attempt to put his son in charge of the country's most important economic development zone. Yet one should not necessarily view the results as a ringing endorsement of the Left, which is still facing a crisis of leadership, and Sarkozy will still be favored to win a second term in 2012.

The BBC has a good roundup of the results and their significance.