FACTBOX-French vote gives Socialists local stranglehold

(Reuters) - Opposition Socialists chalked up a string of victories in France's municipal elections against President Nicolas Sarkozy's centre-right UMP party.

Here are some of the main points.

SOCIALIST RESULTS

The Socialist party defeated sitting rightist candidates in a slew of cities and towns, including Toulouse, Strasbourg, Caen, Perigueux, Amiens, Reims, Metz, Saint-Etienne, Blois, Angouleme, Quimper, Evreux, Dax, Valence, Saint-Chamond and Brive-la-Gaillarde, fiefdom of former President Jacques Chirac.

The Socialists strengthened their grip on France's second city Lyon and maintained control of Paris, without however inflicting fresh losses on the right in the French capital.

The left and its allies also increased the number of local administrative departments they now run to 60 out of 101 from a previous 51. They already run 20 of France's 22 regional governments, giving them a strangle hold on local politics.

UMP RESULTS

The UMP managed to keep control of France's third city Marseille by 51 percent to 49 percent. On a night of defeats, the UMP did manage a couple of gains, including wresting the northern port city of Calais from the hands of the Communists.

OTHER PARTIES