Municipal elections in Paris and Lyon were too close to call, with the left and right running neck-and-neck in both cities, exit polls said today after voting ended in the closely-watched run-offs.
French Prime Minister Mr Lionel Jospin's Socialist Party had been widely expected to defeat the incumbent Paris administration run by allies of conservative President Mr Jacques Chirac. The left had also hoped to take France's second city Lyon from the right.
However, Sofres pollsters said a Socialist-led coalition looked set to take between 79 and 90 seats in Paris city hall against 73 to 84 for the right. Ipsos pollsters gave virtually the same forecast.
In Lyon, Ipsos said the left was on course to win between 28 and 39 seats and the right between 33 and 44.
The municipal elections across France have taken on added significance just a year before presidential and legislative elections in which Jospin is expected to challenge Chirac for the country's top office.