By Alasdair Sandford BBC, Paris

Before the vote Chirac played down election's significance

Now it has happened again, but the signs are that the president will attempt to ride out the latest setback without making any major changes to his government or its direction.

In particular the French Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, looks set to remain in his job.

Yet the election results three months ago left him badly wounded and it was widely expected that a similar rout in June would finally topple him.

So how can he and the French government successfully brush off another electoral defeat?

Partly by refusing to play the game in the first place.

Polls not mentioned

President Chirac did call on voters to turn out on Sunday, but in truth the UMP fought a non-campaign, batting aside the election's significance and embarking on a kind of damage-limitation exercise before votes were even cast.

The government intends to plough on with its unpopular reforms while hoping that growth picks up

Expectations were played down, to the extent that anything other than complete annihilation could be portrayed as relative success.

The prime minister barely made an appearance. His statement after the results were announced continued in the same vein.

Mr Raffarin offered his "warmest congratulations" - to the French football team for beating England at Euro 2004.

There was no mention of the European elections.

Football analogy

On one level the prime minister was simply echoing the nation's thoughts at the time.

What the election actually says about attitudes of the French to Europe is unclear

Most French people couldn't have cared less about the European Parliament on Sunday night, they were rejoicing at the heroics of Fabien Barthez and Zinedine Zidane.

A special election programme on television was even interrupted to give the final score, bringing a ripple of applause from the assembled politicians.

In truth, the government is pinning its own hopes on a similarly unexpected upturn in events.

The adviser quoted in today's Le Monde newspaper wasn't only talking about football when he said "you can be in a difficult situation at half-time and still win the match".

The government's response to its rough ride at the polls this year has been to argue that its five-year legislative mandate is unaffected.

There are no more elections on the horizon with the potential to deliver further embarrassment until France chooses its next president in 2007.

It intends to plough on with its unpopular reforms - beginning this week with its plans for health insurance - while hoping that growth picks up, easing the strain on a stuttering domestic economy.

Lukewarm enthusiasm

There were some crumbs of comfort for President Chirac in Sunday's results.

The turnout of under 43% was the lowest for a European election in France - supporters may be more inclined to show up when it really matters.

Eurosceptic parties failed to gain ground: the Front National improved on its 1999 showing when the party was at its lowest ebb but still scored under 10%. Other "pro-French sovereignty" parties fell away.

But ominously for him, left-wing voters again deserted fringe parties in favour of the mainstream Socialists, whose revival in March has been confirmed.

What the election actually says about attitudes of the French to Europe is unclear.

The arguments of anti-EU campaigners have failed to inspire the same passion as elsewhere.

At face value, two-thirds of voters opted for broadly pro-European parties.

But the turnout suggests their enthusiasm is distinctly lukewarm.