Polling booths have closed after the first round of France's municipal elections, considered a litmus test for the presidential elections next year. Provisional results showed the Socialist candidate was leading in Paris, while the far right looked strong in several southern cities, but pollsters said turnout was low.
More than 904,000 candidates are vying for elected posts in roughly 35,000 municipalities across the country, from major cities to villages with only a few dozen inhabitants.
