The ecologist candidate of the New Popular Front Nicolas Bonnet is in the lead in the Clermont-Montagne constituency of Puy-de-Dôme, in the first round of the legislative elections, ahead of Laurence Vichnievsky (Ensemble – MoDem) and Nadine Pers (National Rally). A three-way race is inevitable.
As in 2022, Nicolas Bonnet (New Popular Front – EELV) comes first in the first round of the legislative elections in the third constituency of Puy-de-Dôme, with 31.72%.
As in 2022, outgoing MP Laurence Vichnievsky (Ensemble – MoDem) is placed in second position (26.03%).
But the big difference is that there will be three candidates facing each other in the second round, on July 7. The National Rally, represented by Nadine Pers, received 16,732 votes, or 25.93% of the votes cast. An unprecedented score for Jordan Bardella’s party which, in 2022, was just over 12%.
Legislative: the RN is ahead of the New Popular Front, the Macron camp in third position… Relive the first round
Nicolas Bonnet therefore finds himself in the same position as two years ago, but as in 2022, he will need a transfer of votes to obtain a relative majority. In the heat of the moment, he says he is “confident”, convinced that “the only dynamic is for the New Popular Front”, compared to an RN that is riding the good wave of the European elections and a presidential majority that has lost 2 points compared to the previous legislative elections.
For her part, Laurence Vichnievsky is hopeful of retaining her seat because, she affirms, “I have reservations that he [Nicolas Bonnet, NDLR] “has not.” She is referring to the Republican party which, through candidate Marie-Anne Marchis (who came in fourth place with 13.73% of the vote) has made it known that it would support the outgoing MP, as in 2022.
Abstention : 26,54 %. Voters in the third constituency of Puy-de-Dôme were strongly mobilized for this first round, with abstention limited to 26.54%. In June 2022, it reached 45.35% in the first round and 47.56% in the second. It can be noted that among the 66,257 voters in Clermont-Montagne, only 64,536 votes cast were counted. There were 1,138 blank votes and 583 invalid votes. Figures also increasing compared to the first round of 2022.
The majority representative regrets that “a large part of public opinion has not fully understood the dissolution of the President of the Republic.” And she added: “We need to hear these voters who are expressing their anger and their rejection of the policies implemented up until now.”
On the other hand, what will be the capacity of Nadine Pers, unknown in the territory, to mobilize further? “I have been at the RN for more than twenty years,” she explains. I showed up because I was fed up and insecure. Between the two rounds, we must continue to campaign and encourage. I believe in it, we need change. »
In his quest for additional votes, Nicolas Bonnet is counting on “a mobilization of all left-wing forces because Emmanuel Macron has so demonized the program of the New Popular Front that the moderate left has undoubtedly preferred to turn to the outgoing MP” .
Thierry Senzier
