French voters go to the polls on Sunday in regional elections that will test the appeal of far-right leader Marine Le Pen's softened image less than a year before the next presidential election. 
 
Coming after a gruelling year and a half of lockdowns, curfews and restrictions, Sunday's first round is likely to prove dire for President Emmanuel Macron, whose party is projected to win none of mainland France's 13 regions. 
 
Boosted by a resurgence of law-and-order issues during the campaign, despite the fact French regions have no police powers, Le Pen is hoping to capitalise on a rebrand that has seen her ditch promises of 'Frexit' and inflammatory rhetoric. 
 
"She appears less extreme in the eyes of the French, less dangerous for democracy, than she did a decade ago," Brice Teinturier, an analyst with pollster IPSOS said. 
 
Her best chance is in the south of France, the region around Marseille and Nice, where one of her lieutenants, a former conservative minister, is projected by one opinion poll as winning the race even if all parties rally against him. 
 
Gaining one region, for the first time ever, would give Le Pen a major boost less than a year before presidential elections, and would be a slap in the face for Macron, who has painted himself as a bulwark against the far-right. 
 
The far-right is also likely to do well in two other regions, around Calais in the north and in Burgundy, helped by low turnout in a country whose attention is shifting to summer holidays to forget the pandemic. 
 
In the deindustrialised north, the incumbent and frontrunner to become the conservatives' candidate in the presidential election, Xavier Bertrand, is facing Le Pen's party spokesman and Macron's justice minister. 
 
Whether Macron's party reaches the 10% threshold will determine if it can force Bertrand into an alliance to defeat the far-right, which would undermine his pitch as Macron`s opponent-in-chief in 2022. 
 
However, a win for Bertrand would bolster his chances of becoming the conservatives' presidential candidate. Macron aides see the one-time health minister as a rival, who would erode the president's centre-right voting base. 
 
Results of Sunday's first round will send parties into frantic backroom dealing for two days to strike alliances ahead of June 27's final round. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

French voters go to the polls on Sunday in regional elections that will test the appeal of far-right leader Marine Le Pen's softened image less than a year before the next presidential election.

French voters go to the polls on Sunday in regional elections that will test the appeal of far-right leader Marine Le Pen's softened image less than a year before the next presidential election. Coming after a gruelling year and a half of lockdowns, curfews and restrictions, Sunday's first round is likely to prove dire for President Emmanuel Macron, whose party is projected to win none of mainland France's 13 regions. Boosted by a resurgence of law-and-order issues during the campaign, despite the fact French regions have no police powers, Le Pen is hoping to capitalise on a rebrand that has seen her ditch promises of 'Frexit' and inflammatory rhetoric. "She appears less extreme in the eyes of the French, less dangerous for democracy, than she did a decade ago," Brice Teinturier, an analyst with pollster IPSOS said. Her best chance is in the south of France, the region around Marseille and Nice, where one of her lieutenants, a former conservative minister, is projected by one opinion poll as winning the race even if all parties rally against him. Gaining one region, for the first time ever, would give Le Pen a major boost less than a year before presidential elections, and would be a slap in the face for Macron, who has painted himself as a bulwark against the far-right. The far-right is also likely to do well in two other regions, around Calais in the north and in Burgundy, helped by low turnout in a country whose attention is shifting to summer holidays to forget the pandemic. In the deindustrialised north, the incumbent and frontrunner to become the conservatives' candidate in the presidential election, Xavier Bertrand, is facing Le Pen's party spokesman and Macron's justice minister. Whether Macron's party reaches the 10% threshold will determine if it can force Bertrand into an alliance to defeat the far-right, which would undermine his pitch as Macron`s opponent-in-chief in 2022. However, a win for Bertrand would bolster his chances of becoming the conservatives' presidential candidate. Macron aides see the one-time health minister as a rival, who would erode the president's centre-right voting base. Results of Sunday's first round will send parties into frantic backroom dealing for two days to strike alliances ahead of June 27's final round. (With inputs from agencies)

French far-right tests voters' appetite in regional elections

Some 5,000 supporters of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) marched through the streets of Berlin on Sunday, but they were heavily outnumbered by anti-AfD demonstrations.

The AfD's anti-immigration, anti-European Union and anti-Muslim messages helped it become the third largest party in the German Bundestag in last September's vote but it has had little impact on parliamentary debate since then.

The AfD demonstrators, bussed in from around Germany, marched from Berlin's main station, down the banks of the Spree river to the Brandenburg Gate near the German parliament.

But there were around 20,000 anti-AfD protesters - according to police estimates - most of them younger people, highlighting the divisions that have emerged in Germany since the 2015 refugee crisis.

The AfD supporters, mostly older, waved German and AfD flags and carried placards demanding "Democracy not Merkelatorship."

Senior AfD lawmaker Beatrix von Storch, who addressed the supporters as they set off from the central station, said: "The rule of Islam in Germany is the rule of evil."

Berliners responded with at least 13 registered counter-demonstrations. These included one by the city's club scene, which put on a techno music party, aiming to "Bass the AfD away" with music blasting from speakers on 20 public address trucks.

"We want to be loud enough to drown out the racist speeches," an activist named Rosa told RBB public television. The thudding techno beat echoed across the city centre on Sunday afternoon.

Another group of anti-AfD protesters were on a boat on the Spree river holding up placards saying "You stink!"

The AfD is now the largest opposition party following the deal between Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and the Social Democrats to renew their grand coalition.

As a result, the AfD, founded as an anti-European Union party by a group of academics in 2013, has a host of powerful committee chairmanships, but has so far failed to capitalise on them.

Sunday's protests were broadly peaceful, with only one minor injury reported amid a heavy police presence.

The AfD's anti-immigration, anti-European Union and anti-Muslim messages helped it become the third largest party in the German Bundestag in last September's vote but it has had little impact on parliamentary debate since then

Some 5,000 supporters of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) marched through the streets of Berlin on Sunday, but they were heavily outnumbered by anti-AfD demonstrations. The AfD's anti-immigration, anti-European Union and anti-Muslim messages helped it become the third largest party in the German Bundestag in last September's vote but it has had little impact on parliamentary debate since then. The AfD demonstrators, bussed in from around Germany, marched from Berlin's main station, down the banks of the Spree river to the Brandenburg Gate near the German parliament. But there were around 20,000 anti-AfD protesters - according to police estimates - most of them younger people, highlighting the divisions that have emerged in Germany since the 2015 refugee crisis. The AfD supporters, mostly older, waved German and AfD flags and carried placards demanding "Democracy not Merkelatorship." Senior AfD lawmaker Beatrix von Storch, who addressed the supporters as they set off from the central station, said: "The rule of Islam in Germany is the rule of evil." Berliners responded with at least 13 registered counter-demonstrations. These included one by the city's club scene, which put on a techno music party, aiming to "Bass the AfD away" with music blasting from speakers on 20 public address trucks. "We want to be loud enough to drown out the racist speeches," an activist named Rosa told RBB public television. The thudding techno beat echoed across the city centre on Sunday afternoon. Another group of anti-AfD protesters were on a boat on the Spree river holding up placards saying "You stink!" The AfD is now the largest opposition party following the deal between Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and the Social Democrats to renew their grand coalition. As a result, the AfD, founded as an anti-European Union party by a group of academics in 2013, has a host of powerful committee chairmanships, but has so far failed to capitalise on them. Sunday's protests were broadly peaceful, with only one minor injury reported amid a heavy police presence.

Germany's far-right AfD supporters outnumbered by protesters in Berlin

A growing majority of French voters see Marine Le Pen&#39;s far-right National Front as a threat to democracy, but a third approve of its ideas, a Kantar Sofres-Onepoint poll showed on Tuesday.

Le Pen, who most polls see coming on top in the first round of France&#39;s presidential election, has sought to make the anti-European Union, anti-immigrant National Front less of a fringe party since she took its reins from her father in 2011.

However, 58 per cent of those surveyed in the poll for Le Monde and franceinfo radio said the party was a threat to democracy. After shrinking for a decade, that number has been rising since 2013, when it stood at 47 per cent.

Only 19 per cent of those surveyed said they wanted Le Pen to win the May 7 presidential runoff. Most polls put her ahead of other candidates in the April 23 first round, but those same surveys consistently see her losing the run-off.

A third said they completely agreed with the National Front&#39;s ideas, a proportion that has changed little since Le Pen took over the party&#39;s leadership.

The Kantar poll found key planks of Le Pen&#39;s platform gaining little traction with voters. Only 22 per cent of those polled were in favour of dropping the euro as France&#39;s currency, for example, down from 34 per cent in 2011 when pollsters started asking the question.

The FN&#39;s anti-EU, anti-immigrant stance helps mark it as anti-establishment but it is also seen as a likely obstacle to its election, in particular with older voters.

It is a key part of the FN&#39;s platform, and on Tuesday Le Pen reaffirmed that, if she were elected president but voters later rejected the EU exit in a referendum, she would resign.

&quot;What would happen if I told voters we must leave and they decided to stay?&quot; Le Pen said at a meeting with a group of entrepreneurs. &quot;I would quit. What else can I do? My whole project can only be carried out if we get the tools and powers back (from the EU.)&quot;

Likewise, only 21 per cent were in favour of giving employment priority to French citizens over foreigners residing legally in France, a level that has changed little in recent years.

(Reuters)

A growing number of French citizens see Le Pen as a threat to democracy, yet a third approve of the far-right party's ideas

A growing majority of French voters see Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front as a threat to democracy, but a third approve of its ideas, a Kantar Sofres-Onepoint poll showed on Tuesday. Le Pen, who most polls see coming on top in the first round of France's presidential election, has sought to make the anti-European Union, anti-immigrant National Front less of a fringe party since she took its reins from her father in 2011. However, 58 per cent of those surveyed in the poll for Le Monde and franceinfo radio said the party was a threat to democracy. After shrinking for a decade, that number has been rising since 2013, when it stood at 47 per cent. Only 19 per cent of those surveyed said they wanted Le Pen to win the May 7 presidential runoff. Most polls put her ahead of other candidates in the April 23 first round, but those same surveys consistently see her losing the run-off. A third said they completely agreed with the National Front's ideas, a proportion that has changed little since Le Pen took over the party's leadership. The Kantar poll found key planks of Le Pen's platform gaining little traction with voters. Only 22 per cent of those polled were in favour of dropping the euro as France's currency, for example, down from 34 per cent in 2011 when pollsters started asking the question. The FN's anti-EU, anti-immigrant stance helps mark it as anti-establishment but it is also seen as a likely obstacle to its election, in particular with older voters. It is a key part of the FN's platform, and on Tuesday Le Pen reaffirmed that, if she were elected president but voters later rejected the EU exit in a referendum, she would resign. "What would happen if I told voters we must leave and they decided to stay?" Le Pen said at a meeting with a group of entrepreneurs. "I would quit. What else can I do? My whole project can only be carried out if we get the tools and powers back (from the EU.)" Likewise, only 21 per cent were in favour of giving employment priority to French citizens over foreigners residing legally in France, a level that has changed little in recent years. (Reuters)

French election: Majority of voters mistrust Le Pen's National Front, says poll

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French far-right tests voters' appetite in regional elections

Germany's far-right AfD supporters outnumbered by protesters in Berlin

French election: Majority of voters mistrust Le Pen's National Front, says poll