Marine Le Pen 's hopes of becoming President of France suffered a huge blow tonight as her National Front was beaten into joint second place in regional elections . The far-right party was predicted to make massive gains , but early exit polls put Nicolas Sarkozy 's conservatives out in front . It is a huge boost for the 60-year-old former President who - despite facing a string of corruption charges - is convinced he can become head of state again in 2017 . Scroll down for video . Marine Le Pen gives a press conference after her hopes of becoming president of France suffered a huge blow in today 's local elections . Guargaule 's Mayor Charles Antoine Casanova counts votes during the first round of the French departments elections in Corsica . Election officials in Saint-Sebastien-sur-Loire count votes for the country 's departments , or administrative regions . By 8pm , an hour after the last vote was cast , Ipsos put an alliance between Mr Sarkozy 's UMP and the centrist UDI on 33 per cent , while the National Front ( FN ) was on 23.5 per cent , along with the ruling Socialists on the same figure . The figures made a mockery of Ms Le Pen 's claims that her fiercely anti-immigration and anti-Europe party could mount a serious challenge for power . 'We 'll get stuck into the regions and then we 're off to invade the Elysee Palace , ' the 46-year-old had said before the vote . At stake were 101 departments - or administrative regions - and 4,100 regional government seats . Ms Le Pen was certain that she could do better than the opposition conservatives and the ruling Socialists , who are performing appallingly because of the hapless government of President Francois Hollande . Ms Le Pen had positioned the National Front ( FN ) away from its overtly racist and anti-Semitic roots , and won 25 per cent of the vote at local and European elections last year . Sarkozy immediately ruled out any alliances between his party and FN candidates in next Sunday 's second round . 'To those who voted National Front , we understand your frustrations , ' the UMP chairman told supporters at party headquarters . 'But this party will not solve France 's problems - it will only make them worse , ' added the ex-president , who came out of retirement last year and hopes to secure the 2017 presidential ticket for his bitterly divided party in primaries next year . Manuel Valls , the Socialist Prime Minister , has also attacked the FN , claiming it is a huge danger to France . Conservative leader Nicolas Sarkozy delivers a speech after his party came first in the local body elections . ' I fear for my country , I fear it will split apart when confronted with the National Front . Its policies would be a disaster for the country , ' said Mr Valls . 'Do you think a National Front scoring twenty five per cent in European elections , perhaps thirty per cent in local elections , and so on , can not win the presidential election ? ' he asked . While the vote means she can no longer argue the FN is France 's most popular party , Le Pen said the result was still a gain for a party almost totally absent from the departements at present , and a slap for Hollande 's Prime Minister Manuel Valls . 'Manuel Valls must now hear the message of voters and have the decency to hand in his resignation to the president , ' she told supporters of the centrist reformer , who Hollande already said will remain in post whatever the final vote outcome . Although Ms Le Pen was always unlikely to become president in 2017 , it was thought she could come runner up , as her father Jean Marie Le Pen did in 2002 . Le Pen senior 's limited victory sent shockwaves round the world , even though he eventually lost to Jacques Chirac . French president Francois Hollande casts his vote in the elections for local councils across France . Hollande today acknowledged that the key issues of the elections would be abstention 'and the score of the National Front ' Today , FN candidates were fielded in 1,909 out of a total of 2,054 constituencies for the first round of voting . The second round is next Sunday . For the first time , candidates appeared on ballots in pairs - one male , one female - to ensure that 50 percent of council members will be women . Those that voted today was estimated at just under 43 per cent of all those eligible - a figure which is up almost six points from the cantonal elections of 2011 . The green vote also seemed to have collapsed in today 's poll , with the environmentalists receiving just two per cent of the national poll , according to the Ipsos poll . Mr Sarkozy had a single term as president , between 2007 and 2012 , but was defeated by Mr Hollande 's Socialist Party . Within a week of Mr Sarkozy leaving office , the Paris home he shared with his third wife , the former supermodel Carla Bruni , was raided by anti-corruption officers . Mr Sarkozy denies any wrongdoing , but is still facing a number of enquiries , including one into allegations that he received millions in illegal cash from the late Colonel Muammar Gaddafi . Prime Minister Manuel Valls emerges from a voting booth after casting his vote in the first round of the French departmental elections .
Sarkozy 's conservatives made gains in today 's French local elections . National Front leader Marine Le Pen claim to 'invade the Elysee ' in tatters . Exit polls show her anti-EU party came second with 23.5 percent of vote . Hollande 's deeply unpopular Socialists came joint second on same figures . The elections will determine political makeup of 101 local councils .