As expected, turnout for the European vote has been low in France, with only an estimated one third of the electorate going to the polls.

The French are electing 72 deputies to the European Parliament, in the wake of a campaign mostly dominated by domestic concerns and rivalries ahead of the 2012 presidential election. The ballot will inevitably lead to a cabinet reshuffle as three ministers are standing as candidates. Victory is widely predicted for President Nicolas Sarkozy’s ruling conservatives, with Martine Aubry’s Socialists expected to take second position. The centrist MoDem and the Greens are neck and neck in opinion polls for third place. Two parties are vying for representation on the far-left, and Jean-Marie Le Pen’s far-right is also expected to pass the five percent threshold, along with the pan-European movement Libertas.More about: EU Parliament, European elections, France

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