It is the most scrutinized constituency in the department for these early legislative elections. The first constituency includes three municipalities: Avignon, Le Pontet and Morières-lès-Avignon. It includes 117,000 inhabitants, it is also the poorest constituency in Vaucluse according to INSEE. The outgoing MP Catherine Jaouen (National Rally) is running again. This is the first time she has campaigned as a candidate. In 2022, she was Joris Hébrard’s substitute before becoming an MP in 2023 when he resigned.
For this first round of legislative elections, eight candidates running in this 1st constituency: Catherine Jaouen (RN), Raphaël Arnault (New Popular Front), Philippe Pascal (DVG), Malika Di Fraja (Together), Johan Courtois (LR), Philippe Toutain (Reconquest), Christine Chatenay, Nour-Eddine Ghouali.
The RN favorite, the left divided
The outgoing MP is hopeful of returning to the National Assembly. Catherine Jaouen is banking on the two RN strongholds in the constituency: Le Pontet and Morières. These two municipalities are led by National Rally mayors.
On the left, the territory is judge “prenable”. This was before the division of the left. Raphaël Arnaulta 29-year-old anti-fascist activist from Lyon, is the candidate of the New Popular Front. But his profile is not popular locally. The Avignon humanitarian Philippe Pascal is also a candidate for the left. He is supported by the socialist mayor of Avignon.
In the middle, voters want solutions on the issue of purchasing power. “We are being squeezed by the throat with inflation”underlines a resident of Morières. Another expectation, security. In Avignon, Le Pontet or Morières, the feeling or reality of insecurity is different, but the demand is similar.
