New professions in the National Assembly, eliminations of certain ministers or figures of the presidential party, young deputies, positive and negative blows of fate were legion during this French legislative election. Overview of the most significant results of this election night.
The legislative elections did not thrill the crowds, as evidenced by the weak mobilization in the two rounds: less than one out of two French voters turned out. Yet the stakes were high as evidenced by some results as surprising as in 2017. At the time, the novices of La République en Marche had overwhelmed the Assembly, rolling the historic deputies of the Socialist Party and the UMP. This year, the blowback against the Macron camp has produced interesting results on all sides.
Surprise entries
This shouldn’t come as a surprise in a totally egalitarian democracy, but these are still happenings. In a National Assembly dominated by the CSP+, the entry of workers and employees brings welcome social diversity. The most symbolic example is Rachel Kéké, 47, spokesperson for the chambermaids on strike at the Ibis des Batignolles hotel in Paris, who won the 7th constituency of Val-de-Marne for the Nupes, in front of the former Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu.
On the left, is also elected Sébastien Delogu, 35, taxi driver from the northern districts of Marseille or Mathilde Hignet, 29 and agricultural worker on an organic farm. Big disappointment for the voters of Nupes: Stéphane Ravacley, the baker who had hit the headlines by going on a hunger strike to demand the regularization of his Guinean apprentice, loses his ticket to the Assembly: 1,664 votes separate him from Eric Alauzet, from the presidential majority.
Many thanks to everyone! You fought like lions. It’s not happening tonight. From tomorrow, we will be back in action. You can count on us, the dynamic is launched, nothing will stop us. #legislative2022 #nudes pic.twitter.com/qK3zpZhA9b
— Stephane Ravacley (@RavacleyS) June 19, 2022
As far as representativeness is concerned, the extreme right is not to be outdone. With its unpublished score, new deputies from the National Rally enter the Assembly, therefore some from underrepresented sociological categories. Christine Loir, 55, carer, daughter of a butcher and a stay-at-home mother, obtained 50.62% of the votes in Eure, ahead of the outgoing Together! Severine Gipson. Jorys Bovet, 29-year-old delivery driver and unknown in politics, won the 2nd constituency of Allier from Louise Héritier, from Nupes, with only 140 votes difference.
If three quarters of young French people aged 18-24 did not come to vote, some young candidates were elected. The first is Tematai Le Gayic, 21, the youngest deputy in the history of the Fifth Republic, elected deputy in French Polynesia for Nupes.
? The 1st district of Polynesia elected the youngest MP in the history of the French Republic. At 21, Tematai Le Gayic (#NUPES) achieved a tour de force by winning against the presidential majority: he was 6,000 votes behind in the 1st round. #legislative pic.twitter.com/0ZfqVBmq6h
— Hugo Capelli (@Hugo_Capelli) June 19, 2022
Within a few months, it was Louis Boyard, 21, who could have snatched this title from him: he has just won the third constituency of Val-de-Marne for Nupes. Charles Rodwell, 25, completes the picture on the side of Together! in the Yvelines. To be seen if these results will lower the average age at the Assembly, which had already fallen from 53 to 48 years old between 2012 and 2017.
Misfortunes in Macronie
There were not only good stories in this election: some have rather badly experienced it. Let’s move on first round eliminations, from Jean-Michel Blanquer to Manuel Valls. Macronie also suffered during this second round.
On the government side, three ministers are eliminated. Amélie de Montchalin will have to leave her post as Minister of Ecological Transition, less than a month after obtaining it. She is outdistanced by 2671 votes by Jérôme Guedj, from Nupes, in Essonne. Brigitte Bourguignon will be dismissed from the Ministry of Health, after her defeat in Pas-de-Calais against the RN candidate Christine Engrand. Justine Benin, Secretary of State for the Sea, outgoing MP for Guadeloupe is also eliminated.
I thank the inhabitants of the 6th constituency who trusted me, with @pierreollier91. I thank the mayors, and the wonderful team of activists who supported me. I extend my Republican congratulations to @JeromeGuedj. I will continue to serve the French.
— Amelie de Montchalin (@AdeMontchalin) June 19, 2022
Another blow on the side of the presidential majority, the defeat of tenors close to Emmanuel Macron. Christophe Castaner, Minister of the Interior in the second Edouard Philippe government, then president of the group La République en Marche, was eliminated from the second constituency of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, where he was seeking a third term. He loses with 3 points difference against Léo Walter, candidate of Nupes. Roxana Maracineanu is eliminated against Rachel Kéké, as we have seen, and Richard Ferrand, faithful among the faithful of the President of the Republic, president of the lower house for 4 years, is not renewed in Finistère. He leaves his place to Mélanie Thomin, from Nupes.
► Read also: French legislative: bets lost and bets won by the main parties