French citizens in foreign territories and abroad started voting on Saturday, June 18, for the second round legislative elections. This will determine whether the presidential coalition is ahead of the one of the left, if the majority is absolute or relative, and if the RN wins a group.
St-Pierre-et-Miquelon was the first overseas territory to vote, at noon Paris time. Guyana, the West Indies – Martinique/Guadeloupe/Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy – and also some French people from abroad followed, notably those from North America and those from South America.
Voters in the Pacific will vote on Sunday. However, due to the difference in time, they will be heading to the polls Saturday night Paris time. The polling stations in Polynesia, Wallis, and Futuna will open at 10 p.m. Paris time. At 11 p.m. Paris it will be Noumea’s turn. It will be 8 a.m. Sunday.
Voting will be easy in the Indian Ocean where there is less time difference. The polling stations in Reunion will open at 6 a.m. Paris time, followed by Mayotte at 7 a.m. On Sunday, the rest of French voters can vote.
The ballot will decide which coalition, the one of the incumbent president majority Together! The left Nupes or the incumbent majority will win, even though the outgoing majority is still preferred by polling institutions. It is not clear whether this majority (289 deputies), or relative, will determine Emmanuel Macron’s ability and willingness to implement his reforms.
Voters will also be asked if Les Republicains, who lost the presidential election, can still weigh in the Assembly. They are given third in the voting intentions. The ballot will also indicate whether the National Rally, which is tied with Marine Le Pen in the presidential election, receives a group. minimum 15 deputies which allows for more resources and speaking times.
These elections also have implications for the future of many ministers. The executive warned us that if the legislative elections fail, the candidate minister must leave the government. Calvados Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne doesn’t seem to be in danger, but Minister for Ecological Transformation Amelie De Montchalin, boss of En Marche, and Minister of Public Service Stanislas Guierini are in serious danger in Essonne. Also, the Minister Delegate For Europe Clement Beaune is also in Paris.
Be that as it might, a reshuffle of the government is expected following the election, even if it’s for the state secretaries posts, which are still unfilled.
After accusing Nupes of wanting to leave Europe, President Emmanuel Macron pleaded with France for a true European France. He also called for a solid majority. Elisabeth Borne criticized a Nupes project that had “very negative consequences” for the economy and the “lies” of Jean-Luc Melenchon.
Nupes’ leader also requested a net result to his favor, otherwise it would be “a mess”.
Marine Le Pen, for her part, called on her voters make Emmanuel Macron a “minority President”, while castigating an “extreme left which is most sectarian and the most violent”.
Carry-over and abstention votes will determine the outcome. One in two voters moved in the first round, and this trend should continue on Sunday.
