What is happening to French politics?

The polling at the weekend in France was the first national elections since François Hollande became president. Almost 45 million French citizens voted to elect 36,000 managers for the next six years. These elections were also seen as a test of the unpopularity of the president, who is doing disastrously in 'opinion polls' - its now below 20%. Interestingly there are many Britons living in France taking on important local political roles. As the results came in it was evident that the main beneficiary was the - far right led by their charismatic leader Marine Le Pen. To underlie this point a former strong hold of the left, Marseille went so far to the right, that the veteran UMP Mayor was on course for a humiliating fourth place! Last week the polling organisation YouGov - considered in depth polling results from a number of countries across Europe - including France, Germany, Sweden and Britain. All their citizens were increasingly sceptical about the elitist panjandrum politicians and their bureaucrats - European project - of increasing integration. As with all elites they become over time divorced from their constituents. This is less the case in Britain, given our representation of politicians and their weekly surgeries with local people. These act as an immediate 'lightening rod' for feed back. The prime minister David Cameron holds his, does president François Hollande?
Racism has for years been just below the surface in France. The big dirty untold story is the collaboration by many French citizens with the German invader, during the Second World War. The programme on BBC Four Martin Amis's England touches on this contentious and controversial issue. My psychoanalyst was a German Jew, who managed to escape that country for Britain. Her father Caesar Seligmann the chief Reform rabbi in Frankfurt made it also to London, and died in June 1950 aged 90.