- With a rate of between 53.5 and 56% according to pollsters, abstention reached a historic level in the first round of municipal elections this Sunday, almost 20 points higher than in 2014, against the background of the coronavirus crisis.
- The results are marked by a push by the Greens and good RN scores.
- Unsurprisingly, The Republicans and the Socialist Party maintain their good local roots. However, it is a disappointment for the party of Emmanuel Macron.
An election will never have taken place in such a context in France. In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, the French were called to vote for the first round of municipal elections this Sunday. The day after the Prime Minister made unannounced announcements aimed at stemming the pandemic, the majority of voters avoided the polling stations.
In addition to the record abstention, this first round was marked by a bonus for outgoing mayors, beneficial to the Republicans and the PS, a push by the Greens and good scores from the National Rally.
The Republicans comforted
The first feedback shows that "we maintain ourselves or we are progressing", welcomed in the early evening number 2 of LR Guillaume Peltier, pointing to a "vote-sanction" of voters facing the "inability of macronism to s 'implant in the territories'.
With a solid local roots, the right party sees many of its outgoing mayors reelected in the first round, like François Baroin in Troyes, Jean-François Copé in Meaux, Natacha Bouchart in Calais or Arnaud Robinet in Reims .
Candidate LR in Marseille Martine Vassal, faced with dissent, is neck and neck with the left. In Toulouse, outgoing Jean-Luc Moudenc, also supported by LREM, is well placed, with more than 35% of the vote. In Bordeaux, the outgoing mayor Nicolas Florian only precedes the environmental candidate by 96 votes.
The Socialist Party Maintains
The rose party stands firm in its many bastions. In the capital, he can rejoice at the clear advance of Anne Hidalgo (around 30%) over Rachida Dati (22%) and the former Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn (17%).
Martine Aubry (Lille), Nathalie Appéré (Rennes), Johanna Rolland (Nantes), Stéphane Le Foll (Le Mans) and François Cuillandre (Brest) are also leading this first round. Nice symbol, in Metz, the socialist candidate Mathieu Klein ahead of the outgoing mayor Laurent Hénart, by three points. He could benefit from the support of the Greens in the second round (if it takes place).
The Republic on the road to trouble
The presidential party records disappointing results. He came second in Strasbourg, third in Paris, Lille, Lyon and Besançon, two cities that were still considered to be winners for LREM a few months ago. The walkers do not seem able to remove a large commune. Support for outgoing mayors from the right has made a name for Angers, where Christophe Béchu (ex-LR and not a member of LREM) is re-elected this Sunday. But not in Nancy or Biarritz.
For the leaders of the presidential movement, the time is also to disappointment: Thomas Cazenave, in Bordeaux, comes in third position with less than 13%. In Perpignan, the deputy Romain Grau must be content with fourth place with 12.4%; in Rennes, MP Carole Gandon is third with around 14.5%; in Nantes, his colleague Valérie Oppelt is fourth with less than 13%.
They will have to console themselves with the performances of members of the government. Ministers Gérald Darmanin and Franck Riester won in the first round, respectively in Tourcoing and Coulommiers. But Edouard Philippe is put on hold in Le Havre (43%) by the communist candidate Jean-Paul Lecoq (34%), whereas he had been elected in the 1st round in 2014. The Prime Minister could see himself opposed by a broad coalition in the second round, which would handicap his retention at Matignon.
The National Rally to Conquer Perpignan
Good performance for Marine Le Pen's party, which succeeded in re-electing its outgoing mayors in Hénin-Beaumont, Fréjus, Beaucaire and Hayange in the first round. Robert Ménard, supported by the RN in Béziers, triumphs with almost 70% of the vote.
The RN, which heads a dozen cities, is able to conquer Perpignan, where Louis Aliot is qualified for the second round (35%). On the other hand, the spokesperson of the party Sébastien Chenu fails in Denain, where the outgoing socialist mayor reelected in the first round.
Thrust of Europe Ecology The Greens
The Greens are doing well in several major cities they targeted. They record a strong push and their candidates are in the lead in Lyon, Strasbourg, Grenoble and Besançon. In Bordeaux, the EELV candidate comes second with less than 100 votes behind.
In Rennes (25%), Lille (23.5%) and Nantes (19%), the scores allow the party to no longer be simply an additional force for outgoing PS mayors.
On the set this evening the #coronavirus # Covid_19 epidemic overwrites the comments of #municipales.
Despite the serious and anxiety-provoking context, environmentalists are progressing compared to 2014 and compared to European ones. ⬇️
The relatively low bar (10% of the votes cast in the 1st round) above which a list can be maintained should result in a multiplication of triangular, or even quadrangular, in the second round, if it takes place. Applicants allowed to stay will have until 6 p.m. Tuesday to find allies or merge.
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