Hollande, Ruffin, Le Pen, Poutou, Roussel, Faure, Wauquiez: the surprises of the first round of the legislative elections

What are the surprises to remember from this first round of the legislative elections? The national secretary of the PCF Fabien Roussel eliminated. François Hollande in the lead in his constituency. Or Gérald Darmanin on the wire. A small anthology of the situations to remember this Sunday evening.

A priori, the former Prime Minister, outgoing MP (6th in Calvados) is largely outdistanced by the RN candidate, at 28% against 36%. Noé Gauchard (LFI) comes third at 24%. According to the instructions given by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the latter, who was beaten by only 2000 votes by Élisabeth Borne in 2022, should withdraw.

Candidate of the New Popular Front in the 1st constituency of Corrèze, François Hollande made a successful comeback by coming in first with 38%. He is ahead of Maïtey Pouget (31%) and the outgoing deputy LR Francis Dubois (29%).

This is enough to comfort Olivier Faure, first secretary of the Socialist Party (PS) and deputy of Seine-et-Marne. He was able to announce on the set of France 2, his re-election in the first round in the 11th of Seine-et-Marne with more than 53% of the votes.

The president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Laurent Wauquiez (LR), came out on top in his constituency (37%). He was ahead of the National Rally candidate Alexandre Heuzey (34%). The candidate of the New Popular Front, Celline Gacon, obtained 19% and could qualify for a three-way race. If this is the case, according to the instructions given by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Wauquiez could be elected by LFI votes… But according to the website of Releasethe “NFP could decide to maintain itself”.

The former Budget Minister convicted of tax fraud missed his return to the 3rd constituency of Lot-et-Garonne. With 13.5% of the votes, he is eliminated, very far from Annick Cousin (RN) who is approaching 45% of votes, ahead of the various right-wing candidate Guillaume Lepers (22.8%) and that of the New Popular Front, Xavier Czapla (17.7%).

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin came out on top in the 10th constituency of the North with 36.06% of the vote. He was ahead of Bastien Verbrugghe, the RN candidate who obtained 34.31% of the vote. In 2022, Gérald Darmanin won in the second round with 57.52% of the vote against candidate Leslie Mortreux (LFI) who created a surprise.

The former Minister of Ecology achieved a very good performance in the 2nd of Doubs where she came in first under the banner of the New Popular Front, with 34% of the votes. She is ahead of Eric Fusis (RN) who is at 30% and the candidate Ensemble Eric Vuillemin (27%).

Marine Le Pen officially announced her re-election in this first round in Hénin-Beaumont (11th of Pas-de-Calais) even before the results were announced (58%). She will be able to devote herself fully to the national campaign in view of the second round.

In the 1st of the Somme, François Ruffin managed to qualify for the second round. But, at around 28%, he is very clearly ahead of Nathalie Ribeiro-Billet (45%), the RN candidate.

A member of parliament since 2017, the national secretary of the French Communist Party Fabien Roussel announced his elimination in the 20th of the North. He was beaten by the RN candidate Guillaume Florquin. The communist said “beaten but not defeated”.

Former union leader and activist of the New Anti-Capitalist Party Philippe Poutou was clearly defeated in the 1st constituency of Aude. He came in far behind Christophe Barthès (RN) who has every chance of being elected in the first round.

Parachuted into the 4th district of Sarthe, the historic constituency of François Fillon, the eldest of the Le Pens, Marie-Caroline came out on top with 39%. She was ahead of the outgoing Insoumise MP, Elise Leboucher (26%), who herself was a few votes ahead of the business leader and political novice Sylvie Casenave-Péré, who was running on behalf of the presidential majority.

Green MP Delphine Batho had a great evening in her 2nd district of Deux-Sèvres, winning nearly 39% of the vote. She was ahead of Mélody Garault (RN) who was at 34%. The presidential majority candidate was eliminated.

Anti-fascist activist “fiché S” Raphaël Arnault qualified for the second round in the 1st constituency of Vaucluse. The 29-year-old candidate invested under the New Popular Front banner received 25%. He will face Catherine Jaouen (RN) who is at almost 35%.