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Henin-Beaumont, a small town in northern France, has become a symbol of the far-right's take-over of the left-wing's former heartland. (Photo: lilas59)

The French town that swung from socialist to far-right

by Aleksandra Eriksson, Henin-Beaumont, France,

As France's left-wing sympathisers headed to the polls to choose a Socialist candidate for president on Sunday (22 January), one constituency counted each vote with utmost care.

Henin-Beaumont, a blue-collar town of 26,000 people in the French north, was for decades a socialist stronghold until the far-right National Front (FN) gathered more votes there than all the other parties combined in 2014 municipal elections.

Since then, the far-right has used it a launch-pad for its bid t...

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Henin-Beaumont, a small town in northern France, has become a symbol of the far-right's take-over of the left-wing's former heartland. (Photo: lilas59)

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