National Front candidates ahead in polling in a number of the country's 13 regions.
Le Pen, the 47-year-old daughter of the party's founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, appears set to take the huge northern region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, an economically depressed area of some 6 million people that was formerly a heartland for France's ruling Socialist Party.
Her 25-year-old niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen -- the party's rising star -- is also expected to win control of the Socialist-run southern region of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, an area that includes the wealthy French Riviera.
In May last year, the party caused shockwaves when it came up top in France's European elections with 25.41% of the vote -- enough to win 23 seats in the European Parliament.
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http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/06/europe/france-regional-elections-polls-open/index.html
National Front candidates ahead in polling in a number of the country's 13 regions.
Le Pen, the 47-year-old daughter of the party's founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, appears set to take the huge northern region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, an economically depressed area of some 6 million people that was formerly a heartland for France's ruling Socialist Party.
Her 25-year-old niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen -- the party's rising star -- is also expected to win control of the Socialist-run southern region of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, an area that includes the wealthy French Riviera.
In May last year, the party caused shockwaves when it came up top in France's European elections with 25.41% of the vote -- enough to win 23 seats in the European Parliament.