French Municipal elections - 2nd round 28 June 2020

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Turnout at noon: 18.38%, down 4.8 points compared to 2014.
If the trend continues it could be a 50% turnout.

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Turnout at noon: 18.38%, down 4.8 points compared to 2014.
If the trend continues it could be a 50% turnout.

Not bad, considering the current situation. We'll see. The next update will be at 17:00h, right?

Yes. I was expected a much lower turnout.
That's right, 5pm. We should have the first estimate by the pollsters for the final turnout a few moments after that.

Holding elections under these circumstances is a nonsense. How is it possible the French government is allowing this?

Apparently Macron wanted to postpone the elections but LR leaders (Lacher Leader of the Senate, Jacob LR Leader in the National Assembly, Baroin Head of the Association of Mayors) told him that if he do that they will say that it is like a coup.
And it is in the law that these elections take place in March. To change the date you had to change the law. It is hard to do that in just a few days, when Parliament is not in session and when the majority party in the Senate is opposed to the postponement of the elections.

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Turnout at 5pm: 38.77%, down 16 points compared to 2014

Ifop estimates the final turnout at 44%.

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God, this is a disaster.

Holding elections under these circumstances is a nonsense. How is it possible the French government is allowing this?

Because it creates an extremely dodgy constitutional precedent

It really doesn't. Local elections have been postponed by decree before (by one full year in 2008!). It's not particularly novel or controversial.

It was by a law.

Some results: two ministers (Riester and Darmanin) are elected in the first round.
At Lille Aubry (29%) is sightly ahead of EELV (24%), LREM (17%).
Besançon EELV is ahead

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It seems that a consensus is emerging tonight among political leaders for postponing the second round.
I don't know how it can be done (I mean you won't postpone it for one or two weeks but at least 3 months).

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E. Philippe will propose to the opposition leaders that the second round take place on June 21.

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As per the new law just passed, if the runoff can't be held before the end of June, both rounds will be redone.

In other words, last Sunday 20 million people went out and exposed themselves to serious health risks to perform their civic duties for nothing. This government is a disgrace.

Once again, how the government is the only responsable? The municipal elections take place in March, it's in the law, therefore the government can not, by its own decision, postponing the elections.
All oppositions parties refuse to postpone the election.

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As per the new law just passed, if the runoff can't be held before the end of June, both rounds will be redone.

In other words, last Sunday 20 million people went out and exposed themselves to serious health risks to perform their civic duties for nothing. This government is a disgrace.

Once again, how the government is the only responsable? The municipal elections take place in March, it's in the law, therefore the government can not, by its own decision, postponing the elections.
All oppositions parties refuse to postpone the election.

They didn't need opposition parties to pass a law postponing elections. Widespread opposition has never stopped this government from shoving laws down parliament's throat before.

They needed the Senate. The president of the Senate was among the one most furious at the idea of postponing the election.
And do you really think that in a democracy the government should decide to postpone an election without the agreement of the opposition?

I'm not saying that the government handled it well. I'm saying that it's a massive failure of every member of the French political class, from the government and the opposition.
But now everyone should take their responsibilities, in the government and in the opposition. Those who pressured the government to hold the elections cannot blame it for doing so.

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I really can't understand how the government can decide to postpone an election without the Senate's approval.
I guess the only option to do it was to invoke article 16. And clearly that is way too extreme.

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Alliot (RN) has won in Perpignan
PM Philippe elected with 59% in Le Havre
EELV makes several gains already (Besançon, Poitiers)

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Aubry in danger in Lille
40% EELV
39% Aubry
(TF1 exit poll)

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EELV takes Lyon

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Out of 236 cities with more than 30,000 inhabitants

18 LFI, PCF (25 in 2014)
42 PS (51)
16 DVG (6)
10 EELV (2)
Total left: 86 (84 in 2014)

23 Center (LREM, UDI, MoDem) (29 in 2014)

77 LR (102)
43 DVD (18)
Total right: 120 (120)

RN: 3 (2)
Divers: 4 (1)

So overall not necessarily a great success for the left which barely improve from the disaster of 2014.