French Elections and the aftermath

France held its municipal elections on March 30th.  Francois Holland's Socialists were not expected to perform well, and they met those expectations.  After the election debacle, President Hollande reshuffled his cabinet, hoping to mitigate some of the damage:

French reshuffle may loom after Hollande's Socialists routed in local elections

Why voters deserted Hollande and Socialists in French local elections 

Hollande names Interior Minister Manuel Valls as France’s new prime minister

France Has a New Government, but Not Much Has Changed

There was a great deal of focus on the success of the far right National Front, but the party still has some way to go to be considered a mainstream party:

French elections: How big is the far right’s success?

Marine Le Pen: France’s Extreme Right Gains A Hollow ‘Victory’