Far-right fails to win a single region

France's far-right National Front (FN) might have failed to win a single region in elections but its high score ties the hands of the two main parties with presidential elections 16 months away, observers said yesterday.

The anti-immigration party's hopes of winning control of its first ever region were dashed on Sunday as voters turned out in force and switched their support to the centre-right Republicans and the Socialists of President Francois Hollande.

Despite being relegated to third place, the FN recorded its best-ever electoral score with 6.8 million votes. The party's leader Marine Le Pen blasted the blocking tactics of the main parties and told supporters: "Nothing can stop us now."