By Katrin Bennhold President Nicolas Sarkozy plans to press ahead with reforms but tone down his flashy image in a bid to restore his popularity with low-income voters after his center-right party suffered a setback in local elections Sunday, officials close to his office said.

Sarkozy party suffers setbacks in local elections in France PARIS, March 10 (Xinhua) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy's centre-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party suffered losses in the first round of municipal elections in the country onSunday.

By John Lichfield France was reeling last night from a double political shock. The defeated presidential candidate, Segolene Royal announced that she had ended her 27-year relationship with the Socialist party leader, Francois Hollande.

President Nicolas Sarkozy's party won a clear parliamentary majority Sunday in elections seen as crucial to his vision for opening up France's economy, although the opposition thwarted a landslide victory by capitalizing on voter fears of giving Sarkozy too much power.

President Nicolas Sarkozy's party won a clear parliamentary majority Sunday in elections seen as crucial to his vision for opening up France's economy, although the opposition thwarted a landslide victory by capitalizing on voter fears of giving Sarkozy too much power.