Le Pen fails to repeat 2002 success

The extreme right wing National Front candidate Jean Marie Le Pen failed to pull off his spectacular result of 2002, making it only to fourth place in the first round vote.

He blamed the right-wing policies of Nicholas Sarkozy for stealing his votes and said he would declare his support for the second round next week.

Despite his poorer showing the far-right leader has seen many of his ideas on patriotism and immigration filter into the mainstream campaigns.

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