This weekend, the French abroad are called to the polls for the first round of the legislative elections. Throughout the world, there are eleven constituencies which together have a total of more than one and a half million voters. And in some, dissidents are legion at the risk of dispersing the electorate and reshuffling the cards.
Even beyond the borders, being elected deputy of the presidential majority whets the appetites. This is the case in the fifth constituency which notably includes Spain. Former Prime Minister Manuel Valls was invested by LREM. But now, the outgoing deputy Stéphane Vojetta, dropped by the presidential party, has decided to maintain himself and does everything to make Manuel Valls’ campaign look like a way of the cross.
LREM is also emulated by the candidates of the ninth constituency, which includes the Maghreb and West Africa. No less than three candidates are running for the presidential majority. The official, Elisabeth Moreno, former minister, invested by Emmanuel Macron. The semi-dissident Medhi Reddad who belongs to Edouard Philippe’s Horizons party. And the dissident Ahmed Eddaraz, who claims the support of Brigitte Macron!
Faced with this debauchery of candidates, the Nupes has a card to play and invests Karim Ben Cheick, former consul in Beirut. Finally, in the eighth constituency of which Israel is a part, the match is played between Reconquest and the Republicans. To curb the outgoing deputy who is running for LR Meyer Habib, Eric Zemmour has invested Serge Siksik, a childhood friend. And a danger for the incumbent… in a region where identity issues mobilize voters a lot
►Also read: Legislative 2022: hiccups prevent some French people living abroad from voting
In the first constituency, which includes Canada and the United States, some were able to vote in advance, online, but the process was not easy for everyone, says RFI correspondent in Toronto, Camille Feireisen. For Aliénor, Franco-Canadian, there is no question of missing these elections: “ You still have to be motivated enough to vote when you’re abroad. Voting is never easy when you are far away…because there are few polling stations. Honestly, the Covid crisis has perhaps, for the first time, underlined to me the importance of having a local elected official who truly represents us even when we are abroad. “.
Internet voting from May 27 to June 1 was to facilitate the exercise. On paper, the system was intended to be simple: identifier sent by email and password on the phone. Anouck, a French expatriate in Montreal, experienced, like others, technical problems: ” D-Day had still not received said password. The thing is that for the 2nd round I couldn’t move because I won’t be at home and it’s too late to make a power of attorney”. Despite his frustration, Anouck will not miss the first round and will go to the polling station to make his voice heard.
Honestly, the Covid-19 crisis has perhaps, for the first time, underlined to me the importance of having a local elected official who truly represents us, even when we are abroad…
Report in Toronto and Montreal (by Camille Feireisen)