French regional vote marks form of failure for Macron's party -interior minister

FILE PHOTO: French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin speaks during a news conference following the weekly cabinet meeting discussions over a bill for the prevention of acts of terrorism at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, April 28, 2021. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool

PARIS (Reuters) - The first round results of France's regional elections marked a form of failure for President Emmanuel Macron's party, said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday, although he added it was too soon to draw conclusions for the 2022 Presidential vote.

France's far right performed worse than predicted in Sunday's regional elections, exit polls showed, and the centre-right made a comeback while the vote as a whole was impacted by a high abstention rate.