Sarkozy suffers vote losses

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's center-right UMP party yesterday put a brave face on its losses in the first round of municipal elections and turned its attention to limiting the damage in the second round.

Branded "Warning" by the headline of the daily Le Parisien, the results of Sunday's vote showed leftist parties won 47.94 percent overall level while center-right parties took 45.49 percent. Turnout was relatively high at around 65 percent.

The municipal vote was the first major electoral test for Sarkozy since he stormed to power 10 months ago and comes at a time when his own approval ratings have slumped.