PoliticsFrench Regional Elections 2010

The 2010 Regional Elections in France will take place March 14th and 21st for each of France’s 26 regional councils, Conseil Régionals in French. Because of a planned restructuring of regional and departmental councils (Conseil Generals in French), mandates will be for four years. In the 2004 Regional Elections mandates were for six years. The planned restructuring would fusion regional and departmental councils.

As is often the case in France voting will be via list. That is voters will not vote directly for candidates but a list of candidates. Lists are normally organized based on political parties, or alliance of parties. Frequently lists will join forces between the first and second round to have a better chance of winning. Conditions for union between rounds are that one list must have gotten at least 10% of the vote, the threshold needed to advance to the second round. The other list or other lists needs to have had at least 5% of the first round vote.

Assuming no list gets more than 50% in the first round (this rarely happens) there is a second round. After the second round seats will be allocated with a mixture of winner take all and proportional representation. The list with the most votes in the second round, even if it’s less than 50% will receive a bonus equal to one-fourth of council seats. The rest will be allocated proportionally for all lists who received at least 5% of the vote.

For 2010 it looks like the Parti socialiste and its Left allies who control 20 out of 22 regions of Metropolitan France (The French mainland plus Corsica) will be able to hold on to most of what was won in 2004. The main reason being that as voting takes place over two rounds the parties on the left (Parti socialiste, Europe Écologie and Front de gauche) can run independent lists in the first round and then fusion in the second. This gives the leftwing parties the chance to be independent and run on their own political program in the first round but the opportunity to unite in the second, giving them a much better chance to win.

First Round Analysis

Voting Card (Carte Electorale) used in the 2010 Regional Elections

Political Posters from the 2010 Regional Elections in France.

Lists in the Rhône-Alpes Region

First Round (March 14, 2010)

Second Round (March 21, 2010)

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