Turnout low in French elections

PARIS, March 21 (UPI) -- The turnout for local elections was low by French standards, with about 45 percent of eligible voters casting ballots, France's Interior Ministry said Monday.

The opposition Socialist Party captured the most overall votes Sunday with about 25 percent and France's far-right Front National party also made gains, Radio France Internationale reported.

President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP lost ground in the elections. It won 16 percent of the vote and the FN received between 15 and 17 percent, up from 12 percent in 2010's regional elections.

The local elections could have been a general measure of each party's strength in advance of next year's presidential elections, RFI said.

However, UMP leaders said the low turnout makes the results worthless as a barometer for future contests.