France: first round of legislative elections, participation scrutinized

Some 48 million voters are called upon to appoint their deputies in France this Sunday, June 12, 2022. © SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

We vote this Sunday, June 12 in France.

Some 48 million voters are called upon to appoint their deputies from 8 a.m. in mainland France.

This is the first round of legislative elections, a month and a half after the re-election of Emmanuel Macron as President of the Republic.

Crucial elections, since they will determine the political color of the next government, and which risk being marked by a strong abstention.

Advertising

Read more

In France, the Prime Minister comes from the majority group in the National Assembly.

And the executive power must be able to rely on the deputies to pass the laws.

They are also the ones who control the action of the government through questions to ministers, commissions of inquiry and fact-finding missions...

The Renaissance presidential party with its allies therefore wishes to obtain the largest majority to apply their program.

The left opposition, the Nupes, dreams of imposing cohabitation on the president.

For this it will have to win more than half of the 577 seats in the assembly, ie 558 in mainland France, 11 for French people living abroad, 2 in New Caledonia and 6 for other overseas communities.

Overseas voters got the ball rolling yesterday.

First of all those of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon who were the first to go to the polls, Saturday at 08:00 local time (noon in Paris).

►

: Towards a Mélenchon-Macron duel?

(The campaign minute)

A total of 6,293 candidates are in the running, that's about 11 per constituency.

A figure down from the ballot five years ago which is explained by the alliance of left-wing parties.

The method of electing deputies is regularly called into question, accused of favoring the big parties and creating majorities that do not reflect the diversity of the political spectrum.

But until now, apart from the 1986 election, the reform projects to impose a dose of proportional representation have all failed...

Participation will be closely monitored.

Observers expect a rate of over 50% abstention.

The disaffection with the legislative elections is progressing in a spectacular way since it has gone from 31% in 1993 to 51.3% in 2017. It primarily affects young people and the working classes.

(with agencies)

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_EN

• French politics

• France

• Emmanuel Macron