This Sunday, June 9, is the last day of voting for the European ballot. In Beijing, as elsewhere in Asia, the first polling stations opened this Sunday morning. French voters from abroad came in numbers.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Beijing, Stéphane Lagarde
At the opening of the polling station this Sunday morning at the consulate of France in Beijing, the thermometer is already 30 degrees. Guillaume, who works in the oil industry, is among the first to put his ballot in the ballot box: “ It’s just that it’s too hot, if I come at midday or in the afternoon it’s harder. »
For this expatriate who works in the oil industry, the elections are important: “ Basically, the European Union I liked it, but it’s becoming something against individual freedoms, I wanted to show my frustration with my ballot. My Chinese friends don’t even know that there are European elections. They know that we vote for a president in the different European countries, but that’s all. »
“ I feel my European identity even more »
Despite the distance, European issues are at the heart of the concerns of the French people of Chinaalso thinks Lorianne, student and scout leader: “ We see it even more here than in France, because we are surrounded by Europeans in Beijing and I feel my European identity even more. »
This June 9, the ballot is held on the eve of the long weekend of the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival which marks the start of the hot weather period.
Christophe, a teacher, also preferred to vote in the morning: “ It’s about enjoying the day. Tomorrow [lundi 10 juin, NDLR] is a public holiday here in China, so we vote early so we can go away for the weekend and take a trip to the Great Wall. I lived for years in totalitarian countries, we see a rise in populism in Europe, so it is important to vote. »
At midday, the turnout at the Beijing polling station was 14.61%.
Read also2024 European election results