Regional and departmental: the right at the head of a ballot lead by a record abstention
A voter puts his ballot in the ballot box in a polling station in Saint-Rémy-sur-Avre in the north-west of France on June 20, 2021. AFP - GUILLAUME SOUVANT
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4 min
The Republicans are largely ahead of this first round of these regional and departmental elections in France, ahead of the National Rally and the left.
But the highlight of this election remains an unprecedented abstention rate estimated between 66.1% and 68.6%.
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According to the first estimates The Republicans come fairly widely in the lead of this first round of regional and departmental elections in France, ahead of the National Gathering, which ultimately did not achieve the breakthrough it hoped for.
The right would thus obtain between 27.2 and 29.3% of the votes on the whole of the French territory, the lists led by the PS between 16.5 and 17.6%, the RN between 19.1% and 19.3 % and LREM around 10-11%, according to Elabe for BFM / RMC and Ipsos for France Télévisions, Radio France and the Parliamentary Channel.
The far right is much lower than expected.
"
A jump is possible
" before the second round next Sunday reacted on private television TF1 the vice-president of the RN, Jordan Bardella, while contrary to the polls, his party did not come first in any of the 6 regions out of 13 for which estimates were available shortly after 8 p.m.
President Emmanuel Macron's party has not achieved good results either, with less than a year before the presidential election.
Bertrand in the lead in Hauts-de-France, LR and RN neck and neck in Paca
In the Hauts-de-France, the LR Xavier Bertrand congratulated himself on having "broken the jaws of the RN" after having come clearly in the lead with 39 to 44% of the votes against 28 to 24% of the votes for the RN list. led by Sébastien Chenu.
The list of union of the left would gather around 18%, while the list of La République en Marche (LaRem) would risk elimination with less than 10% of the votes.
In the PACA region, also particularly scrutinized for the duel between The Republicans and the National Gathering which was announced there, the two lists are neck and neck.
The RN list of Thierry Mariani is credited with 33% and the LR list of Renaud Muselier with 30% by the polling institute OpinionWay / CNews, but Renaud Museilier is on the other hand given in the lead with 34% of the votes against 33% for Thierry Mariani by according to Ifop / TF1 / LCI.
A historic abstention
But the highlight of these elections will undoubtedly remain its record abstention rate.
More than two in three French people chose this Sunday not to go to the polls in the first round of regional elections, a record of abstention for a vote outside the referendum which would reach between 66.1% and 68.6%, according to the officials. first estimates from pollsters.
The level of abstention is of particular concern.
Our collective work must be turned towards the mobilization of the French for the second round.
- Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) June 20, 2021
The abstention would amount to 66.1%, according to an Ipsos / Sopra Steria poll for France Télévions, Radio France and the Parliamentary Channel.
It would be slightly higher at 68% according to Opinionway for CNews and for Ifop Fiducial for TF1 / LCI, and would amount to 68.5% according to Elabe for BFM / RMC.
The Harris Institute for M6 estimates participation at 31.4%.
Excluding the referendum, the worst polls, in terms of electoral mobilization, have so far been the 2009 European elections (59.37%) and the second round of municipal elections in June 2020 (58.6%).
For a first round of regional elections, this is obviously an unprecedented abstention, well above the 50.09% of the 2015 ballot and especially the previous peak of 2010 (53.67%).
For the departmental elections, the previous record of abstention dates back to the 1st round of 2011 (55.68%).
(
With
AFP)
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Regional elections in France
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