French people in North America vote to block “the rise of extremes” | French legislative elections 2024

As France prepares to elect the 577 deputies of its National Assembly, French nationals overseas began voting on Saturday in view of these “historic” legislative elections. Indeed, with the far right prancing in the polls, French voters who live in North America – more oriented towards the left – want to make their voices heard, even thousands of kilometers from Paris.

In Quebec, large numbers of French nationals traveled to Montreal and Quebec City on Saturday to participate in the first round of French legislative elections as the far-right National Rally party is surging in the polls.

In our world right now, these are very, very important elections, especially with the rise of the extremessays French voter Émilie Alexandre, who came to vote in Montreal.

Several other voters, including Jean-François Rabier, also turned out with the firm intention of blocking the passage of more radical parties.

It is often said that when democracy is sick, populists come to its bedside, but it is not to cure it. I think that is what is happening in our country.says this French voter.

President Emmanuel Macron called the snap election by announcing the dissolution of the National Assembly on June 9, the evening of the far-right’s victory in the European elections.

These legislative elections are the most scrutinized in recent history in France and began on Saturday with the opening of polling stations in certain overseas territories.

Marie Lapierre, Consul General of France in Montreal, predicts that the participation rate in the Quebec metropolis will be double what it was in 2022.

In the 2022 parliamentary elections, we had a turnout of around 25%. This time, we have prepared for more, and we are ready to welcome a turnout of around 50%.

Quebec has 260,000 French citizens, including 200,000 in Montreal. They constitute the largest population of French nationals outside mainland France and more than a quarter of registered voters in North America, according to the French government.

There are approximately 21,000 French voters registered at the Quebec consulate and 70,000 in Montreal.

As of December 31, 2023, there were 108,000 French people residing in Canada and registered in the consular register.

Tendency to the left

However, the extreme right finds little support among French people living here. In the European legislative elections, Marine Le Pen’s troops only obtained 5% of the votes in the Montreal consulate, where the left largely dominated.

According to Frédéric Mérand, director of the Department of Political Science at the University of Montreal and a specialist in European politics, the main contenders for North American voters are centrist and left-wing parties.

In Montreal and in North America, more generally, the sociology of the electorate is very young and very educated, so these are two characteristics which are associated with a vote to the left.

Voters’ renewed interest is also attributed to the growing polarization of French society, according to Chedly Belkhodja, a professor at Concordia University’s School of Public and Community Affairs.

This election will perhaps show a side of France that we have not seen for many years, namely the rise of the far righthe said, adding that once-fringe parties have become more normalized in recent years.

49 million voters

Some 49 million French voters are called upon to renew the entire National Assembly, i.e. 577 deputies, during two rounds, this Sunday and July 7, which could permanently shake up the political horizon.

The French electoral system allows citizens established abroad in 11 different constituencies to each elect one deputy to the National Assembly.

On Saturday, French voters in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, an archipelago in the North Atlantic near Canada, opened the ball at 8 a.m. (local time), while those in the Antilles, Guyana, French Polynesia and those living on the American continent followed suit.

French citizens of Quebec belong to the same district as French people established in the United States, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda.

Voters will choose between nine candidates, from French President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance Party to the National Rally, an anti-immigration party on track to win the most seats.

As for the French in mainland France, they will go to the polls on Sunday.

With information from Jean-Philippe Hughes, The Canadian Press and Agence France-Presse