The first round of France's regional elections has led to a defeat for the centre-right UMP of President Nicolas Sarkozy. According to projections, his party has no more than 26 percent of the votes.

Nationally, the Socialists have emerged as the largest party with almost 30 percent. The other left-wing parties have also done well. Socialist leader Martine Aubry says the French have spoken out against President Nicolas Sarkozy's "unfair and ineffective policies".

France has a budget deficit of over eight percent and an unemployment rate of more than 10 percent. The success of the far-right Front National, which picked up almost 12 percent of the votes, was unexpected.

Turnout for the elections was low, under 50 percent of the more than 44 million people who were entitled to cast their vote for the country's regional councils on Sunday. These parliaments of the 26 French regions from the administrative layer between central government and the departments.

Next Sunday, a second round of voting will be held in the regions in which none of the parties obtained an absolute majority.