News Le Pen trounced in presidential elections

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French President Jacques Chirac was re-elected with 82.21 percent of the vote against 17.79 percent for his far-right opponent Jean-Marie Le Pen, according to final results released May 6 by the Interior Ministry.

The abstention rate among the country's 41.2 million registered voters was 20.29 percent, the ministry said, while 4.28 percent chose to cast blank votes.

Of some 31 million valid votes, Chirac won 25.5 million while Le Pen won 5.5 million.

Within minutes of learning of his defeat, Le Pen was accusing his rivals of "totalitarian methods" and promising a major comeback at the country's parliamentary elections next month.

France announced an interim government May 7 that created a security czar to combat crime and gave France its first female defense minister.

Headed by provincial moderate Jean-Pierre Raffarin, named prime minister by Chirac May 6, the 21-member Cabinet will govern until parliamentary elections June 9 and 16.

In other developments, far-right, anti-immigrationist Dutch political leader Pim Fortuyn was shot and killed April 6 by a vegan animal rights activist in the Netherlands.

仏大統領選でシラク大統領が再選

フランスの大統領選で6日、現職のシラク大統領が圧勝し、再選を決めた。

Shukan ST: May 17, 2002

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