At the headquarters of the conservative UMP, senior party officials remained stoic even though they were looking at the possibility of a second humiliating rejection by French voters in a month. The message echoed those of other party leaders: that it is not over until after the second round next week. The UMP General Secretary Jean-Francois Copé said: "We are obviously ready, if the French decide, to shoulder the responsibility to carry through reforms that are essential for our country in this period of crisis and to answer the worries of many French people. Because the least that can be said is that we're far-and-away from the Socialist tidal wave that had been forecast, quite the opposite. More about: France, French politics, Legislative election