French Far Right Leads in Nice, Nearing Key Election Victory

Far-right mayoral candidate Eric Ciotti won the first round of voting in Nice, France’s fifth-largest city, as Marine Le Pen and her nationalist allies seek to boost support ahead of next year’s presidential election.

Ciotti, who broke from the traditional conservative bloc to back Le Pen two years ago, won 43.4% of the vote, according to interior ministry figures. A run-off on March 22 will also include incumbent Christian Estrosi of the center-right Horizons, who got 30.9%, and the Green’s Juliette Chesnel-Le Roux, who won 11.9%.