Hollande's leftists ahead in French parliamentary vote

The Associated Press

President Francois Hollande's Socialist Party, bolstered by leftist allies, stands positioned to take control of the lower house of parliament so he can revamp a country his partisans see as too capitalist for the French, and push to save the eurozone through growth, not austerity.

The conservative party of former President Nicolas Sarkozy, which has controlled the 577-seat National Assembly since 2002, will likely lose its grip on power in the final round of voting in a week. Sarkozy was defeated in the May 6 final round of the presidential race.

Hollande will likely not get his wish for a pure Socialist Party sweep of the seats of power in France, but he need not fret.

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June 10, 2012