Stinging rebuff to Giscard coalition

Press, 27 March 1979, Page 9

Stinging rebuff to Giscard coalition

NZPA Paris French voters have handed President Valery Giscard d’Estaing’s ruling CentreRight coalition a significant rebuff, electing some 188 new Socialist and Communist representatives to statelevel governing councils. With all but 10 of the 1846 districts reporting, the three main component parties of die President’s ruling caolition had won 900 seats, a loss of 156 seats in the general councils that run the nation’s departments, or states. Results from the other 10 districts were not expected until today.

The big winner of the two-stage balloting that began last week-end was the Socialist Party, which overcame months of bitter infighting to win 557 seats, an increase of 158. The Socialist leader, Francois Mitterrand, who is locked in a three-way fight for control of France’s largest party called the 'Socialists, had greater electoral success than expected. France’s Communist Party, continuing the electoral success it began in the 1977 municipal elections, won 225 seats, an increase of 31 seats.

What the French press call “the Leftist push” is expected to result in at least eight new Presidencies for the Left when the 1846 districts choose new leaders tomorrow. Mr Giscard's own union for French democracy won 42S seats, 62 less than before. ’ The President’s Gaullist partners, led by the Mayor of Paris (Mr Jacques Chirac) won 198 seats, a loss of 41. Other diverse groups in the ruling coalition, elected in a national poll last March, lost 53 seats.