Toulon - France's far-right National Front failed to win back its only seat in parliament in a close by-election run-off in the Mediterranean port of Toulon yesterday.
Socialist Ms Odette Casanova won by 33 votes over Ms Cendrine Le Chevallier, the wife of the local National Front mayor, polling 50.07 per cent of the votes to Ms Le Chevallier's 49.93 per cent. Ms Le Chevallier was favourite after she topped last Sunday's first round ahead of Ms Casanova.