Sarkozy Wins First-Round Legislative Vote

PARIS — France's President Sarkozy's Union for a Popular Movement won the first round of legislative elections and is set to extend his majority in Parliament, estimates by polling companies show.

Mr. Sarkozy's UMP will take as many as 470 seats in the National Assembly, up from 359 now, according to Paris-based firm CSA. The Socialist Party may win as few as 90 in the 577-seat Parliament.

"The domination of Parliament by the right wing is clear," Pierre Giacometti, a director of polling company Ipsos SA, said on France 2 television.

The wider legislative majority may ease passage of his $14.8 billion program of tax cuts, tougher prison sentences, and looser labor laws. Mr. Sarkozy last month defeated socialist Ségolène Royal in the presidential vote.

"The French people understood and want to give a chance to the parliament to work in harmony with the government," France's Finance Minister Jean-Louis Borloo told TF1 television.

The UMP won 41.2% the votes yesterday against rival Socialist Party who won between 27.5%, CSA estimated.

As of 7 p.m. yesterday, 61% of the voters participated to the elections, a CSA estimate showed, the lowest rate in 20 years for a first legislative round. The second round is June 17.