Outrage over French Poll

France has been shaken by the unexpected sucess of far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, in Sunday’s first presidential election runoff.

The anti-immigrant campaigner took 17 per cent of the votes, sweeping into the second runoff against President Jacques Chirac, who only polled 2.6 per cent more. Le Pen's strong showing ended the career of Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, hit the euro andsent shockwaves throughout Europe

Up to 10,000 protesters took to the streets (photo) in Paris after the announcement of the preliminary results shouting "Le Pen is a facist" and "I am ashamed".

But among those taking part in the demonstrations were many voters who had not bothered to cast their votes in Sunday’s election.

Bored

A lacklustre campaign by the two main candidates, Jospin and Chirac, culminated in a record low turnout on Sunday, with almost 30 per cent staying at home or leaving to partake in the warm, sunny weather.

Law and order was top on the manifestos of both main candidates, as crime has been growing in France with startling speed.

France's overall crime rate jumped eight per cent last year after a five per cent increase the year before.

However, both Chirac’s concept of "zero tolerance" and and Jospin’s pledge to be "tough on crime" bored French voters.

Prior to the vote up to 37 per cent said the election was not particularly important to them.

But Le Pen (photo) made the most of the call for more law and order and joked about it, saying "it’s the lepenisation of the campaign".

Schocked

The shock at Le Pen’s election success was voiced in the press all over Europe.

The left-leaning Liberation had a photo on its front page of Le Pen and only one word – "No". Right-leaning Le Figaro’s headline read "The earthquake".

Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung spoke of a "political earthquake". Jacques Chirac is still seen as the favourite to win the second round, it said, but added "the French have fired a warning shot across the bows of their political elite".

Senior politicans across Europe have shown widespread alarm.

The level of support expressed for the right-winger "throws a great dirty rock into the European political pool", EuropeanCommissioner Neil Kinnock said.

Right-wing cancer

Analysts say Le Pen has little chance of winning over Chirac in the second and final round of the presidential vote, but his surprising success is a sign that the National Front could do well in the parliamentary elections due in June.

Both Le Pen’s success and Jospin’s defeat are the latest in a series of blows to the European left. Beginning in Italy last year, the success of right-wing parties has spread to Denmark and Portugal and continued to the Netherlands and Germany.

Presidency devalued

As current president Jacques Chirac and his surprise adversary Jean Marie Le Pen go to the second runoff on May 5 with a mere 37 per cent combined share of the vote - a record low turnout - one question is raised the French would rather not ask: Is there a point in the French presidency?

The fact that 17 per cent of the electorate voted for a man who is best know for his declaration that the Holocaust was a "detail in history" is evidence of how devalued the post of French president has become.

According to a weekend poll, 60 per cent of voters think that parliamentary elections are far more important than presidential ones.

Much of the blame of this attitude of indifference must fall on Chirac, who has been under constant fire after persistent sleeze allegations surfaced during his term in as president.

Now, Chirac is likely to return to office with the highest support ever recorded as a shocked French electorate attempts to right Sunday’s wrong. This comes after an election run up which showed the French people just as disenchanted with the president as with his main competitor, Lionel Jospin.

If France decides to choose Chirac as president, but then votes for a leftwing parliament in June, France may find itself in an uncomfortable political dilemma.

But Chirac has appealed to the French people to remember their democratic responsibility – and to vote for him: "France needs you. I need you, " he said.