French legislative: in view of the second round, evasive voting instructions
A man votes during the French legislative elections at a polling station in Ajaccio, on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, on June 12, 2022. AFP - PASCAL POCHARD-CASABIANCA
Text by: Pierre Olivier Follow
2 mins
Next Sunday June 19, with rare exceptions, voters are called to return to the polls for the second round of legislative elections.
Duels which, depending on the constituency, will oppose LREM, Nupes or RN.
But the tenors of these three irreconcilable blocks remain vague on the voting instructions for their voters.
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The ni-ni of Marine le Pen
This is the poster that will be the most represented next Sunday: a candidate from Nupes will face a candidate from the presidential majority in 271 constituencies.
A few minutes after the first estimates on the evening of the first round, Marine Le Pen chose not to give voting instructions in the constituencies where the National Rally does not appear in the second round.
Opting for the “neither-nor” strategy, Marine le Pen invited her voters “
not to choose between the destroyers from above and the destroyers from below
”.
Evasive Mélenchon
Another duel, in a hundred constituencies: a majority candidate will oppose another from the RN.
A choice which, as during the second round of the presidential election, leaves Jean-Luc Mélenchon rather evasive.
The leader of the Union of the Lefts recalled having "
no doubt about the intelligence of our people, nor any reservations with regard to the decision that, in the end, they will take regarding the composition of the National Assembly
".
Jean-Luc Mélenchon also called on his voters to "
surge
" into the polling stations during the second round.
Mess up at LaREM
The voting instructions, on the other hand, were more confused on the side of LaREM concerning the 59 duels which will oppose the RN and the Nupes.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the new rival facing Marine Le Pen the enemy of always.
LaREM executives first mentioned “
case by case
” instructions, then even Elisabeth Borne got confused.
After having denounced “
the extremes
” on Sunday evening, the Prime Minister finally clarified things, specifying that “we should never give a voice to the far right”.
A line reaffirmed by government spokeswoman Olivia Grégoire on Monday.
Anxious not to create controversy 7 days before a very uncertain second round for the majority.
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French legislative 2022
our selection
Jean-Luc Melenchon
Marine Le Pen
Elisabeth Borne
French politics