France's President Nicolas Sarkozy waits to cast his ballot in the first round local elections in Paris March 9, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Exit polls showed the opposition Socialists had retained control of France's second city Lyon, and were likely to maintain control of the capital Paris after the March 16 runoff ballot.

Nationwide, leftist parties received 47.94 percent of the vote in Sunday's elections, and centre-right parties got 45.49 percent.