French wingnuts claim significant victory. [View all]

France's far-right Front National (FN) on Sunday won a bellwether by-election, cementing the party's status as a political force to be reckoned with by capitalising on economic gloom and fears of rising crime.

The eurosceptic and anti-immigration party founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen has for years been largely regarded as a pariah in French politics but it has gained significantly in strength and popularity in recent months.

The party's candidate Laurent Lopez garnered 53.9 percent of the vote in the second round of the by-election in the southeastern town of Brignoles, officials in the Var department said.

"I am very happy, it is an unambiguous score," said Lopez of his victory.

http://www.french-news-online.com/wordpress/?p=30957

Not entirely unambiguous. The Left didn't field a candidate in Brignoles.