ABOUT FRANCE - AND THE COMING LOCAL ELECTIONS

We all know far too little about what happens in our neighbouring and partner countries. 

Today I will give some information and comments about the coming local elections in France.  They will take place on March 15 and March 22.


They are very interesting elections for several reasons.  It is only the second time that the whole French electorate goes to the polls after president Macron’s huge election victory some years ago. And it is now a possibility for some of the older parties, which were either almost wiped out or considerable reduced by Macron’s victory, to re-inter the political scene again – and also a possibility for newer parties such as the Environmentalists / The Green to moved forward.


France has an area of 644.000 sq.km and has 67 mio inhabitants. It has 101 départements – and 36.000 municipalities. The country has since Napoleon’s days been very centralised. But since 2000 regional and local authorities have gradually got more tasks.


Sunday, March 15, the first round ( tour ) of the elections will take place. About 500.000 municipal councillors have to be elected in 34.970 municipalities ( in a few places it is not necessary to hold elections ). Altogether 902.000 candidates on 20.700 lists try to get elected.


Sunday, March 22  the second round ( tour ) takes place in the municipalities where nobody got more than 50 % in the first round. This time it is either an election between the two with the highest percentage – or among all candidates again. He or she who gets the most votes is elected.


You can vote from when you are 18 years old.  And the election period is 6 years.


French citizens living abroad may vote. Special voting locations have been established in places with many French citizens, such as in Geneva, London, Brussels and Montreal.


EU citizens living in France may also vote and be candidates.  About 330.000 have been registered for this election. The biggest group is the Portuguese – 111.600. Followed by: the Italians: 55.300, the Belgians: 47.500, the Spaniards: 33.900, the Germans: 33.600, and the Dutch:  17.700.  The 46.000 British citizens living in France can lo longer votes after the UK left the EU on January 31, 2020.


What will the overall results of the elections be?  Very difficult to say. The party of president Macron is from 2016 and not very strong locally. Parties to the right and to the left will probably see progress.  Mrs. Le Pen’s party on the far right will beyond doubt try to get more posts as mayor than the 10 they got last time.


A number of well-know politicians are candidates, including 10 ministers in Macron’s government. Prime minister Edouard Philippe is a candidate in Le Havre. Anne Hidalgo ( socialist ) tries to continue as mayor of Paris. And Martine Aubry ( socialist ) is a key candidate in Lille. She is, by the way, daughter of Jacques Delors.   


If you want to follow the election campaign and its results you can do it in those three English-language French media:


·          FRANCE 24   -   www.france24.com/en/             

·          THE LOCAL France   -    www.thelocal.fr     

·          THE CONNEXION – French news and views  -                             www.connexionfrance.com






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