Elections legislatives France - 10 things to know with detail
- 1. The legislative elections in France are held every five years to elect members of the National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament.
- 2. The National Assembly consists of 577 seats, each representing a constituency in France or overseas territories.
- 3. The elections are held using a two-round system, where candidates must receive over 50% of the vote in the first round to be elected. If no candidate reaches this threshold, a second round is held between the top two candidates.
- 4. The elections are held in single-member constituencies, meaning that each constituency elects one member to represent them in the National Assembly.
- 5. In the first round of the elections, any candidate who receives over 12.5% of the registered voters in the constituency can advance to the second round.
- 6. Candidates can run as individuals or as part of a political party or coalition. Parties can also form alliances to support a single candidate in a constituency.
- 7. The legislative elections often serve as a barometer of the popularity of the President and the ruling party, as a strong showing in the elections can give the President a mandate to implement their agenda.
- 8. The President of France has the power to dissolve the National Assembly and call for new elections, although this power is rarely used.
- 9. The legislative elections are crucial for determining the composition of the National Assembly and the balance of power within the French government. The party or coalition with a majority of seats in the Assembly usually forms the government.
- 10. The last legislative elections in France were held in June 2017, resulting in a victory for the La République En Marche! party of President Emmanuel Macron. The next legislative elections are scheduled to be held in 2022.