30 March 2014
Last updated at 16:56 ET
UMP leader Jean-Francois Cope hailed what he called a "blue wave" of support for his centre-right party.
The far-right National Front (FN) was heading for victory in up to seven towns, early results indicated.
The Socialists have been hit by growing discontent over the economy.
Marine Le Pen's National Front was on course for victory in
the southern towns of Beziers and Frejus and in Villers-Cotterets
north-east of Paris.
The centre-right UMP appear poised to capture a number of key cities, including Saint-Etienne, Reims and Roubaix, our correspondent says.
A reshuffle - and quite likely a replacement for Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault - could be announced as early as Monday, he adds.
In Paris, which has had a Socialist mayor since 2001, Socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo claimed victory over her UMP rival.
It was seen as a consolation for the governing party on a night of setbacks.
Voters were choosing councillors and mayors in more than 36,000 municipalities. FN candidates had won through to the second round in some 200 places.
The FN is widely expected to do well in the European Parliament elections in May - and opinion polls suggest the Eurosceptic party is on course to come top.
France local elections: Socialists lose heavily - early results
The UMP leader Jean-Francois Cope said his party was now France's first party
France's
governing Socialists have suffered big losses in municipal elections,
early results show, with the opposition UMP claiming victory and the far
right celebrating further gains.
The far-right National Front (FN) was heading for victory in up to seven towns, early results indicated.
The Socialists have been hit by growing discontent over the economy.
Continue reading the main story
With the first results coming in it is clear that President
Hollande and the Socialists have taken a hit.
All sorts of towns are tumbling to the right-wing UMP. Towns like Limoges, which has been governed by the left since 1912; or Quimper, Saint-Etienne, Reims and Roubaix. It looks like the Socialists have retained Paris, but that is small consolation.
The UMP's Jean-Francois Cope is proclaiming a "blue wave" - his party's colours - and he is not wrong. Six years ago, in the last municipal vote, there was a similar "pink wave" in favour of the Socialists. Now there is a big swing back. Sitting governments in France always seem to get it in the teeth.
The National Front has taken control of perhaps seven towns. It is not a huge tally, but the far right already proved in the first round that it is implanted around the country. The UMP is the big winner of round two. The government is the big loser.
Analysis
All sorts of towns are tumbling to the right-wing UMP. Towns like Limoges, which has been governed by the left since 1912; or Quimper, Saint-Etienne, Reims and Roubaix. It looks like the Socialists have retained Paris, but that is small consolation.
The UMP's Jean-Francois Cope is proclaiming a "blue wave" - his party's colours - and he is not wrong. Six years ago, in the last municipal vote, there was a similar "pink wave" in favour of the Socialists. Now there is a big swing back. Sitting governments in France always seem to get it in the teeth.
The National Front has taken control of perhaps seven towns. It is not a huge tally, but the far right already proved in the first round that it is implanted around the country. The UMP is the big winner of round two. The government is the big loser.
Turnout in Sunday's second-round
vote was low, which was bad news for President Francois Hollande's
Socialists as it was their supporters who were not voting, BBC Paris
correspondent Hugh Schofield reports.
The centre-right UMP appear poised to capture a number of key cities, including Saint-Etienne, Reims and Roubaix, our correspondent says.
A reshuffle - and quite likely a replacement for Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault - could be announced as early as Monday, he adds.
In Paris, which has had a Socialist mayor since 2001, Socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo claimed victory over her UMP rival.
It was seen as a consolation for the governing party on a night of setbacks.
Voters were choosing councillors and mayors in more than 36,000 municipalities. FN candidates had won through to the second round in some 200 places.
The FN is widely expected to do well in the European Parliament elections in May - and opinion polls suggest the Eurosceptic party is on course to come top.
Anne Hidalgo's likely victory in Paris was seen as a consolation for the Socialists on a bad night of results
Marine Le Pen says her party has arrived as a "major independent force"
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Yahoo! UK and Ireland French far-right set for town-hall record as Hollande routed 1 hr ago
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Reuters UK French reshuffle may loom after Hollande's Socialists routed in local elections 1 hr ago
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Financial Times* Hollande poised to react to election blow 3 hrs ago
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Telegraph France's Front National claims biggest victory in its history 4 hrs ago
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