Paris: France voted on Sunday in the second round of regional elections that are seen as a test for a centrist president. Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen’s far-right, but so far disappointing first phase with voter participation showed no improvement.
Macron’s ruling party suffered another electoral defeat in the first round of 20 June, and Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) did not live up to expectations.
This has led some observers to say that it is far from a foregone conclusion that the 2022 presidential election will fall into a duel between the two rivals.
The results of the first round gave a boost to the traditional right-wing Republican as well socialist Party, who were squeezed with his brand-new Republic on the Move (LREM) party after centrist Macron came to power in 2017.
Analysts warn against extrapolating too much from regional election results for the heads of France’s 13 mainland regions – from Brittany in the north-west to the Provence-Alpes-Cte d’Azur (PACA) region in the southeast.
But there was cross-party concern over turnout in last week’s elections, with 66.72 percent of the electorate, a record in modern-day France, indicating a growing gap between voters and the political elite.
With only 27.89 per cent voting recorded at 5:00 pm in the second round – just one point higher than in the same phase last week – there was little hope of any major improvement.
“I really don’t know what the point is,” said 31-year-old Helen Debote, who said she would not vote in these elections but would vote in the presidential elections. “There, it’s clear what’s at stake.”
Surveys have shown that most French do not know who leads their regions and what the institutions do.
“I’m going to vote, but I don’t know what it’s worth,” said 66-year-old pensioner Hugh Hubert. “What will the candidates do? I don’t know!”
The results of the first round put Le Pen’s RN ahead in just one region, Provence-Alpes-Cte d’Azur (PACA), a major disappointment for him after pre-election opinion polls suggested possible success in several areas.
One of the most closely watched races on Sunday will be whether RN candidate Thierry Mariani can beat his right-wing rival Renaud Muselier.
Gaining control of an area for the first time will be a big boost for Le Pen as she tries to convince voters that the RN – whom she has rebranded since taking over from her firebrand father Jean-Marie – is a wielder of power. Serious party. .
Musselier may be helped by the return of leftist candidates, an example of a “Republican Front” seen in previous presidential elections to block the far-right.
Critics have accused Mariani of being an admirer of authoritarians such as the Russian president. Vladimir Putin and Syrian leaders Bashar Al Assad. Prime Minister Jean Casteaux warned last week that Mariani’s victory would be “very serious” for the country.
The RN was also less frequent in the le-de-France region which includes Paris. Its 25-year-old rising star Jordan Bardella failed to upset right-winger Valerie Pecres, who is the favorite to maintain an alliance of left-wingers and the Greens.
Right-wing heavyweight Javier Bertrand, meanwhile, is set to hold onto northeastern Hauts-de-France, cementing his credibility as a 2022 presidential contender from the traditional right.
The results of the first round yielded unmatched readings for Macron and his LREM, confirming the party’s failure to put down local and regional roots, despite controlling the presidency and lower house of parliament.
Despite sending several ministers to campaign and Macron himself on a nationwide tour – in which he was once slapped by the public – in some areas the LREM did not raise the 10 percent needed to make it to the second round.
“2022: What If It Wasn’t Them?” asked the title in the left wing Freedom Newspaper on photo of Macron and Le Pen.
The LREM has almost no chance of winning control of any one region and currently ranks only fifth among political parties in France.
The Socialists are expected to retain many areas, partly due to a second round of agreements with the far-left France Unboed (LFI) party and the Green Europe Ecology – The Greens (EELV).
With help from the left, the EELV still envisions its chances of taking the Pays de la Loire region with its candidate Matthew Orfelin, a former member of Macron’s party.
Voting began at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) on Sunday, with the last polling station due to close after 12 hours.
Macron’s ruling party suffered another electoral defeat in the first round of 20 June, and Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) did not live up to expectations.
This has led some observers to say that it is far from a foregone conclusion that the 2022 presidential election will fall into a duel between the two rivals.
The results of the first round gave a boost to the traditional right-wing Republican as well socialist Party, who were squeezed with his brand-new Republic on the Move (LREM) party after centrist Macron came to power in 2017.
Analysts warn against extrapolating too much from regional election results for the heads of France’s 13 mainland regions – from Brittany in the north-west to the Provence-Alpes-Cte d’Azur (PACA) region in the southeast.
But there was cross-party concern over turnout in last week’s elections, with 66.72 percent of the electorate, a record in modern-day France, indicating a growing gap between voters and the political elite.
With only 27.89 per cent voting recorded at 5:00 pm in the second round – just one point higher than in the same phase last week – there was little hope of any major improvement.
“I really don’t know what the point is,” said 31-year-old Helen Debote, who said she would not vote in these elections but would vote in the presidential elections. “There, it’s clear what’s at stake.”
Surveys have shown that most French do not know who leads their regions and what the institutions do.
“I’m going to vote, but I don’t know what it’s worth,” said 66-year-old pensioner Hugh Hubert. “What will the candidates do? I don’t know!”
The results of the first round put Le Pen’s RN ahead in just one region, Provence-Alpes-Cte d’Azur (PACA), a major disappointment for him after pre-election opinion polls suggested possible success in several areas.
One of the most closely watched races on Sunday will be whether RN candidate Thierry Mariani can beat his right-wing rival Renaud Muselier.
Gaining control of an area for the first time will be a big boost for Le Pen as she tries to convince voters that the RN – whom she has rebranded since taking over from her firebrand father Jean-Marie – is a wielder of power. Serious party. .
Musselier may be helped by the return of leftist candidates, an example of a “Republican Front” seen in previous presidential elections to block the far-right.
Critics have accused Mariani of being an admirer of authoritarians such as the Russian president. Vladimir Putin and Syrian leaders Bashar Al Assad. Prime Minister Jean Casteaux warned last week that Mariani’s victory would be “very serious” for the country.
The RN was also less frequent in the le-de-France region which includes Paris. Its 25-year-old rising star Jordan Bardella failed to upset right-winger Valerie Pecres, who is the favorite to maintain an alliance of left-wingers and the Greens.
Right-wing heavyweight Javier Bertrand, meanwhile, is set to hold onto northeastern Hauts-de-France, cementing his credibility as a 2022 presidential contender from the traditional right.
The results of the first round yielded unmatched readings for Macron and his LREM, confirming the party’s failure to put down local and regional roots, despite controlling the presidency and lower house of parliament.
Despite sending several ministers to campaign and Macron himself on a nationwide tour – in which he was once slapped by the public – in some areas the LREM did not raise the 10 percent needed to make it to the second round.
“2022: What If It Wasn’t Them?” asked the title in the left wing Freedom Newspaper on photo of Macron and Le Pen.
The LREM has almost no chance of winning control of any one region and currently ranks only fifth among political parties in France.
The Socialists are expected to retain many areas, partly due to a second round of agreements with the far-left France Unboed (LFI) party and the Green Europe Ecology – The Greens (EELV).
With help from the left, the EELV still envisions its chances of taking the Pays de la Loire region with its candidate Matthew Orfelin, a former member of Macron’s party.
Voting began at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) on Sunday, with the last polling station due to close after 12 hours.
.