The results of the first round of the early legislative elections make three triangulars possible in the second round in the Champagne-Ardenne constituencies. What will the candidates who are able to maintain themselves do? We take stock.
After a lightning campaign, the first round of the legislative elections delivered its verdict on Sunday June 30, 2024. In Champagne-Ardenne, the National Rally and its allies demonstrate their power by placing themselves in the lead in all constituencies, except one.
In three constituencies, three candidates exceeded the bar of 12.5% of registered voters, allowing them to remain in the second round if they wish. This is the case in the first constituency of Marne, the second of Marne and the first of Haute-Marne. Each time, the RN is in the lead, ahead of the candidate of the presidential majority and the representative of the New Popular Front.
The question therefore arises as to whether the candidates who came in third place will choose to remain, as their score authorizes them to do, or whether they will withdraw, to try to prevent the victory of the National Rally.
In the first constituency of Marne, the outgoing MP (Horizons) Xavier Albertini was beaten by Adrien Mexis, candidate for Les Républicains / Rassemblement national. Évelyne Bourgoin, EELV candidate representing the New Popular Front, came in third place.
We interviewed her on Sunday evening, when the results were announced, and Évelyne Bourgoin did not immediately give a decision as to whether or not she would continue in the second round.
“I can understand her thinking, indicated Xavier Albertini, speaking to our journalist Maxime Meyer. I have heard the national instructions from a number of politicians who are calling for this withdrawal. I also know that voters do not necessarily respect voting instructions. I will take note of what Mrs Bourgoin wants. But this is not the second half of the same match. We are resetting the counters to zero and we are starting again, I hope, for a victory next week.”
Marine Tondelier, the national secretary of Europe Écologie Les Verts, of which Évelyne Bourgoin is a member, signed a platform a few days ago calling on the “democratic forces” has “to agree to prevent the RN from obtaining a majority.”
In the second constituency of Marne, the RN MEP Anne-Sophie Frigout is in the lead ahead of the outgoing MP (Renaissance) Laure Miller. The representative of the New Popular Front, Stéphane Pirouelle is in third position, able to maintain his position.
He indicated on Sunday evening that he was going to withdraw, in an attempt to block the National Rally. A decision welcomed by Laure Miller. “I want to address all voters, from the right as well as the left. I want to say obviously that values bring us together. The values of the Republic, of democracy. We must be able to unite behind these values around my candidacy. We can resist the extreme right on our territory,” she told our microphone.
In the first constituency of Haute-Marne, the outgoing National Rally deputy Christophe Bentz came very close to re-election in the first round. But the strong participation allows both Bérangère Abba, Horizons candidate, and Benjamin Lambert, of the New Popular Front to also remain in the second round.
In a press release relayed by our colleagues at JHM, Benjamin Lambert does not clearly indicate his choice of not remaining in the second round or not. But everything seems to indicate that he will not be a candidate, even if his score allowed him to be one.
“We are proud to have carried the voice of purchasing power and social justice during this election campaign. These values are at the heart of our political commitment. We express our gratitude to all our supporters who contributed to this election campaign by multiplying their efforts to convince and mobilize around our ideas. Despite their unwavering commitment, we recognize that this was not enough to win this election.”
In the coming days and weeks, we will continue to work within our political parties, unions and in collaboration with civil society. The left must continue its work of reconstruction and we will continue to take part in it with determination and conviction.”he says.
Bérangère Abba, who has a significant gap to make up on her RN opponent if she hopes to win, is reaching out to voters who chose another candidate in the first round. “We are going to discuss this with the various parties present, with candidate Benjamin Lambert coming in third place. I believe that we are all keen to prevent our constituency from becoming trapped in this anger and withdrawal. We have common values,” she told our microphone.
To have a definitive look at the candidates’ choices to remain or not, we will have to wait until the end of Tuesday, and the closing of the submission of applications for the second round at the prefecture.
