During the legislative elections this weekend, the French people of Quebec (and North America) will have to choose their own representative in the French National Assembly. But how can we explain that French people who live far from their country have their own deputy?
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If you are a Canadian living abroad, you can exercise your right to vote (under certain conditions) when elections are coming up. French expatriates, on the other hand, have elected representatives who represent their interests, even if they no longer live in the country. These representatives occupy 11 seats in the National Assembly (and represent about 2% of the vote).
What are they for?
The regions of the world where the French live are divided into 11 constituencies. The first includes Canada, the United States, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda.
It is this constituency which had the most people registered on the consular lists in 2023. The majority of other overseas constituencies are located in Europe.
11 seats out of 577 may not seem like much. However, these 11 elected officials can sometimes swing a vote.
The doctoral student in political science at the University of Montreal, Julien Robin, cites in particular the motion of censure which was rejected by the National Assembly in 2023 and which could have brought down the government.
“During the pension reform, when the motion of censure did not pass by nine votes, we realized that with 11 deputies, we could easily swing a majority on that,” he indicates.
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How long has it existed?
French people living abroad have been able to vote for their own MP since 2008. The first MPs for French expatriates were elected during the 2012 legislative elections.
“Officially, it is to create a real link of citizenship and representation of French expatriates abroad in the National Assembly,” explains Julien Robin. That said, we can ask ourselves the question of the usefulness of these deputies who are elected with very few votes cast.
In addition, there is a debate about the relevance, for these people who no longer pay taxes in France, of having deputies who sit in the Assembly, adds the researcher.
Like France, Lebanon has elected representatives for its nationals abroad.
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