article_snippet: Exit polls showed the UMP controlling up to 70 departments, compared to 37 for France's ruling Socialists.
article_snippet: This meant a loss of 30 of the regional councils for Francois Hollande's party, which came to power nationally in 2012.
article_snippet: Exit polls showed the opposition UMP party under Nicolas Sarkozy (pictured) controlling up to 70 departments, compared to 37 for the Socialists . '
article_snippet: Although the FN was expected to win up to one department maximum, the FN were on course to win more than 200 seats on regional councils.
article_snippet: According to the exit polls, the UMP and UMP centrist allies could end up with nearly twice as many seats as President Hollande's Socialists..
highlights_snippet: Exit polls have shown the UMP controlling 70 departments .
  
highlights_snippet: Even Francois Hollande's own Correze department was won by the UMP .
  