What will we remember from these 2020 municipal elections? They were first marked by the specter of the coronavirus, with a first round maintained despite the rapid progression of the epidemic and a second round organized after 30,000 deaths in the country. But between the green breakthrough, the good scores of the traditional parties, the semi-victorious bet of the National Rally and the relative failure of The Republic on the march, the lessons of a vote shunned by the voters are numerous.
Historically low participation
It was the fear of this second round of municipal elections, organized three and a half months after the first: a historically high abstention, like March 15, and a democratic vitality at half mast. While participation systematically exceeded 60% for the second round of municipal elections (62.13% in 2014, 65.20% in 2008), it melted to around 40% of those registered on Sunday. It is lower than the score in the first round (44.66%).
Symbol of a "civic strike" and of a "cold insurrection against all the institutions of the country", according to Jean-Luc Mélenchon, with fears linked to the health crisis, this record abstention worried until the Élysée: Emmanuel Macron said he was "concerned" about this very low level of participation, which is not "very good news".
The Greens, big winners of these municipal elections
After the Europeans in 2019, environmentalists recorded a new electoral success, with victories in several major cities in France. Starting with Marseille, where the candidate Michèle Rubirola (Printemps marseillais) has turned the city held by Jean-Claude Gaudin since 1995 to the left. It's a bit the same scenario in Bordeaux, where Pierre Hurmic, defeating Nicolas Florian, delighted the city on the right. In Lyon, Grégory Doucet clearly beat the LR candidate and Gérard Collomb's foal, Yann Cucherat. "A green wave is rising in France", assured the spokesperson of Europe Ecology-The Greens, Eva Sas. Environmentalists also impose themselves in Strasbourg.
The Republicans and the Socialist Party resist well
They were said to be dying three years ago, with the victory of a centrist bloc led by Emmanuel Macron. Three years later, the Socialist Party and The Republicans showed with this ballot that they kept a strong local anchor. The First Secretary of the PS Olivier Faure praised an "immense impetus which rises in all France" with victories in Brest, Saint-Denis, Rouen, Cherbourg, Quimper, Chambéry, Périgueux, Morlaix, Nancy. The first city of France, Paris, remains socialist, with the re-election of Anne Hidalgo in front of Rachida Dati and Agnès Buzyn.
The Republicans side, "we are returning to victory," said the party's boss, MP Christian Jacob. The right party is losing some of its strongholds, including Marseille and Bordeaux, but achieving good scores in many medium-sized cities. "The Republicans maintain their positions," welcomed Europe 1 Damien Abad, president of the LR group in the National Assembly. "We remain the leading party in France in terms of local elected representatives and territorial roots."
The National Rally saved by Perpignan?
The name of this city instantly gives a smile to the members of the National Rally: Perpignan fell into the hands of the far-right party with the victory of Louis Aliot against the outgoing mayor, Jean-Marc Pujol. "It's a system that is crumbling," welcomed the RN deputy.
After having retained the town halls acquired in 2014, the former National Front also won the towns of Moissac, in Tarn-et-Garonne, and Bruay-la-Bussière, in Pas-de-Calais. "This is not only a symbolic victory, it is a real trigger, because we will also be able to demonstrate that we are capable of managing large communities," said Marine Le Pen. But apart from these few victories, the RN's local anchor is weaker than that of the parties it is trying to overthrow.
"Disappointment" for La République en Marche
The word is pronounced: "Tonight, we are disappointed," conceded government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye, when speaking of La République en Marche during its first local election in its existence. Largely beaten in Paris and Lille, nonexistent in certain big cities like Marseille and Bordeaux, the presidential party did not really succeed in its local anchoring, four years after its birth and three years after its accession to power. The only real satisfaction in the ranks of the majority: the Prime Minister, Édouard Philippe, was clearly re-elected in his city of Le Havre. Even if, officially, he is not a member of La République en Marche.