Regional elections were held in France on March 21 and March 28 , 2004 . At stake were the presidencies of each of France's 26 régions , which, though they don't have legislative autonomy, manage sizeable budgets. The results were a triumph for the parties of the left , led by the French Socialist Party (PS) in alliance with minor parties including the French Communist Party (PCF), the Left Radical Party (PRG) and the Greens (Les Verts). The left has usually fared moderately well in regional elections, but this was their best result since the regional system was introduced.
The left won control of 20 of the 22 regions of metropolitan France, defeating the parties of the mainstream right, the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and the Union for French Democracy (UDF), and the extreme right National Front (FN). The results were seen as a major setback for then President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin .
Results by region
The first round was held on March 21 . Since no candidate gained a majority in any region, a second round was held on March 28 , in which only candidates who polled more than 10% in the first round were eligible to run (except in Corsica, where the threshold is 5%). Votes for minor parties have been consolidated. Incumbents are shown with an asterisk.
Alsace
The presidencies of France's 22 metropolitain regions and 4 overseas regions. Réunion is controlled by the PCF, Martinique by the MIM, Guadeloupe and Guyane by PS/PSG
See Alsace Regional Council
Candidate
Party
Votes (Round One)
% (Round One)
Votes (Round Two)
% (Round Two)
Adrien Zeller (incumbent)
UMP
225,193
34.06%
299,353
43.56%
Jacques Bigot
PS /Verts
133,038
20.12%
236,709
34.44%
Patrick Binder
FN
122,860
18.58%
151,187
22.00%
Robert Spieler
Alsace d'abord
62,253
9.42%
-
-
Antoine Waechter
MEI
48.949
7.40%
-
-
Alfred Wahl
PCF /PRG /MRC
24,692
3.73%
-
-
Patrick Merck
Divers
23,540
3.56%
-
-
Françoise Ruch
LCR /LO
20,004
3.03%
-
-
Pascale Grauss
Federalist Party
578
0.09%
-
-
Total
661,107
100,00%
687,249
100,00%
Regional Council
Conservative Alsace is one of only two regions retained by the right.
Aquitaine
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
François Bayrou
UDF
215,796
16.1
-
-
Jacques Colombier
FN
153,859
11.4
164,047
11.7
Xavier Darcos
UMP
247,232
18.4
469,382
33.5
Alain Rousset *
PS-Verts
516,392
38.4
769,583
54.8
Others
-
210,635
15.7
-
-
Total
-
1,343,904
-
1,403,012
-
Regional Council
Aquitaine is a traditional stronghold of the left.
Auvergne
Regional Council
The former President of France, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing , was seeking a fourth term as President of Auvergne .
Basse-Normandie
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Philippe Duron
PS-PCF
143,095
23.9
297,291
46.2
René Garrec *
UDF-UMP
172,050
28.7
257,297
40.0
Fernand Le Rachinel
FN
83,742
14.0
88,618
13.8
Others
-
199,659
33.3
-
-
Total
-
598,546
-
643,206
-
Regional Council
The left have never before won control of Lower Normandy .
Bourgogne
Regional Council
Party/Alliance
Seats
+/−
PS
25
+2
UMP /UDF
14
-6
Les Verts
7
+7
PCF
6
+6
FN
5
-4
Divers
1
+7
Divers Droite
2
-2
Divers Gauche
0
-1
CPNT
0
-2
Burgundy returns to its usual left-wing loyalty. It is suspected that incumbent Jean-Pierre Soisson was punished for his coalition with the Front National .
Bretagne
See also: Bretagne Regional Council
Candidate
Party
Votes (Round One)
% (Round One)
Votes (Round Two)
% (Round Two)
Jean-Yves Le Drian
PS /PCF /PRG
521,980
38,48%
841,004
58,79%
Josselin de Rohan (incumbent)
UMP
347,221
25,60%
589,625
41,21%
Bruno Joncour
UDF
150,050
11,06%
-
-
Pascale Loget
Les Verts /UDB
131,521
9,70%
-
-
Brigitte Neveux
FN
114,883
8,47%
-
-
Françoise Dubu
LCR /LO
64,805
4,78%
-
-
Lionel David
MNR
25,992
1,92%
-
-
Total
1,356,460
100,00%
1,430,611
100,00%
Regional Council
Normally conservative Brittany is captured by the left.
Centre
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Jacqueline Gourault
UDF
135,779
13.7
-
-
Michel Sapin
PS
378,235
38.1
517,987
49.1
Jean Verdon
FN
173,651
17.5
173,460
16.5
Serge Vinçon
UMP
205,262
20.7
362,382
34.4
Others
-
98,433
9.9
-
-
Total
-
991,360
-
1,053,829
-
Regional Council
The left retains control of this region. Sapin replaces the retiring incumbent Alain Rafesthain .
Champagne-Ardenne
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Jean-Paul Bachy
PS
141,189
27.9
228,622
41.9
Charles de Courson
UDF
56,105
11.1
-
-
Jean-Claude Étienne *
UMP
134,602
26.7
217,322
39.8
Bruno Subtil
FN
99,576
19.7
99,766
18.3
Others
-
129,519
25.6
-
-
Total
-
504,886
-
545,710
-
Regional Council
Party/Alliance
Seats
+/−
PS
22
+5
UMP
14
-3
PCF
6
+6
FN
6
-3
UDF
4
+4
Divers Droite
0
-3
Far-left
0
-1
CPNT
0
-1
Ecologists
0
-1
The left captures usually conservative Champagne-Ardenne .
Corse
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Camille de Rocca-Serra
UMP
20,155
14.6
35,627
25.0
Dominique Bucchini
PCF
9,147
6.6
11,808
8.3
Paul Giacobbi
Center-Left
14,477
10.5
21,562
15.2
Olivier Martinelli
FN
6,181
4.5
-
-
Simon Renucci
Center-Left
8,018
5.8
11,025
7.7
José Rossi *
Center-Right
8,804
6.4
11,092
7.8
Émile Zuccarelli
PRG-PS
17,906
13.0
26,434
18.6
Others
-
53,501
38.7
-
-
Total
-
138,189
-
142,200
-
Regional Council
Party/Alliance
Seats
+/−
Divers Gauche
24
+19
UMP /Divers Droite
19
+2
Unione Naziunale (Nationalists)
8
+/- 0
PS
0
-11
Moderates
0
-3
Conservative Corsica is the right's only success apart from Alsace .
Franche-Comté
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Raymond Forni
PS
146,555
31.3
240,177
46.7
Jean-François Humbert *
UMP
116,354
24.8
185,757
36.1
Sophie Montel
FN
87,498
18.7
88,134
17.1
Others
-
118,097
25.2
-
-
Total
-
468,504
-
514,068
-
Regional Council
The left retakes Franche-Comté .
Haute-Normandie
Regional Council
The left retains its traditional hold on Upper Normandy .
Île-de-France
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Jean-François Copé
UMP
908,275
24.8
1,593,559
40.7
Jean-Paul Huchon *
PS-Verts-PRG
1,170,444
31.9
1,922,546
49.1
Marine Le Pen
FN
448,987
12.3
395,481
10.1
André Santini
UDF
590,543
16.1
-
-
Others
-
545,116
14.9
-
-
Total
-
3,663,365
-
3,991,586
-
Regional Council
The left retains control of Île-de-France , the region surrounding Paris and gets a comfortable majority. Huchon previously could not rely on a majority.
Languedoc-Roussillon
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Jacques Blanc *
UMP
258,287
24.3
373,844
33.1
Georges Frêche
PS-Verts-PCF
373,214
36.3
577,798
51.2
Alain Jamet
FN
183,031
17.2
177,568
15.7
Others
-
251,458
23.6
-
-
Total
-
1,065,990
-
1,129,210
-
Regional Council
The left re-establishes its usual dominance of Languedoc-Roussillon .
Limousin
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Raymond Archer
UMP
79,531
23.3
132,044
38.0
Jean-Paul Denanot
PS-PRG-PCF
140,217
41.1
215,612
62.0
Patricia Gibeau
FN
31,736
9.3
-
-
Others
-
89,362
26.2
-
-
Total
-
340,846
-
347,656
-
Regional Council
Party/Alliance
Seats
+/−
PS
19
-5
UMP
10
-4
PCF
6
+6
Les Verts
3
+3
UDF
2
+2
Coalition pour une Alternative Progressiste
2
+2
Divers Gauche-Ecologist
1
+1
FN
0
-3
Divers
0
-1
CPNT
0
-1
The left retains control of Limousin , with Denanot succeeding the retiring incumbent Robert Savy .
Lorraine
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Thierry Gourlot
FN
152,660
17.6
162,971
17.3
Nathalie Griesbeck
UDF
75,609
8.7
-
-
Gérard Longuet *
UMP
192,157
22.1
322,446
34.2
Jean-Pierre Masseret
PS-PCF-Verts
253,626
29.2
457,350
48.5
Others
-
194,040
22.3
-
-
Total
-
868,092
-
942,767
-
Regional Council
Party/Alliance
Seats
+/−
PS
33
+10
UMP
17
-2
FN
8
-5
PCF
6
+6
Les Verts
6
+6
UDF
2
+2
Divers
1
+2
Divers Droite
14
-14
Divers Droite
2
-2
Far-left
0
-1
CPNT
0
-1
The left captures Lorraine .
Midi-Pyrénées
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Louis Aliot
FN
141,599
11.8
149,409
12.1
Jacques Godfrain
UMP
228,449
19.0
376,872
30.4
Martin Malvy *
PS-PC-PRG
497,713
41.4
712,176
57.5
Michel Valdiguie
-
122,030
10.1
-
-
Others
-
212,695
17.7
-
-
Total
-
1,202,486
-
1,238,457
-
Regional Council
Party/Alliance
Seats
+/−
PS
43
+2
UMP
12
-22
PRG
10
+10
PCF
9
+9
FN
8
+/-0
UDF
7
+7
Divers
2
+2
Divers Droite
0
-4
LO /LCR
1
-2
CPNT
0
-2
The left retain its traditional dominance of Midi-Pyrénées .
Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Alain Bocquet
PCF
173,200
10.7
-
-
Jean-Paul Delevoye
UMP
280,102
17.3
484,711
28.5
Carl Lang
FN
290,908
17.9
336,444
19.7
Daniel Percheron *
PS-PRG
484,798
29.9
881,948
51.8
Others
-
392,728
24.2
-
-
Total
-
1,621,736
-
1,703,103
-
Regional Council
Nord-Pas-de-Calais is also a stronghold of the left.
Pays de la Loire
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Jean Arthuis
UDF
169,251
12.1
-
-
Jacques Auxiette
PS-Verts-PCF-PRG
518,466
37.2
762,497
52.3
François Fillon
UMP
450,552
32.3
693,913
47.6
Samuel Maréchal
FN
135,391
9.7
-
-
Others
-
120,041
8.6
-
-
Total
-
1,393,701
-
1,456,410
-
Regional Council
Party/Alliance
Seats
+/−
PS
39
+10
UMP
26
-18
Les Verts
13
+13
PCF
8
+8
UDF
7
+7
FN
0
-7
Divers Droite
0
-6
Divers Gauche
0
-3
CPNT
0
-3
Far-left
0
-1
The right loses the normally conservative Pays de la Loire region. Fillon was the candidate of the right in succession to the retiring Jean-Luc Harousseau .
Picardie
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Claude Gewerc
PS-Verts-PRG
210,328
27.4
379,075
45.4
Maxime Gremetz
PCF
83,282
10.9
-
-
Michel Guiniot
FN
175,940
22.9
155,851
18.7
Gilles de Robien
UDF-UMP
247,425
32.3
300,140
35.9
Others
-
49,995
6.5
-
-
Total
-
766,970
-
835,066
-
Regional Council
The left captures the Picardie region following the retirement of incumbent Charles Baur .
Poitou-Charentes
Regional Council
Party/Alliance
Seats
+/−
PS
20
-3
UMP
9
-13
PCF
7
+7
Les Verts
6
+6
Divers
6
+/-0
FN
3
-2
PRG
2
+2
Divers Gauche
2
+1
Divers Droite
0
-2
CPNT
0
-2
Poitou-Charentes , is a region where right and left are traditionally with equality and home region of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin , falls to the left.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Guy Macary
FN
415,181
22.9
409,786
21.0
Renaud Muselier
UMP-UDF
472,035
26.1
659,592
33.8
Michel Vauzelle *
PS-PCF-Verts-PRG
633,268
35.0
881,350
45.2
Others
-
288,443
15.9
-
-
Total
-
1,808,927
-
1,950,728
-
Regional Council
The left retains control of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur .
Jean-Marie Le Pen , who intended to run in this region, was disqualified because he did not fulfill the legal conditions: he neither lived there, nor was registered as a taxpayer there.
Rhône-Alpes
Candidate
Party
First round
%
Second round
%
Anne-Marie Comparini *
UDF-UMP
667,856
31.2
890,433
38.2
Bruno Gollnisch
FN
389,565
18.2
355,861
15.3
Gérard Leras
Verts
215,783
10.1
-
-
Jean-Jack Queyranne
PS-PCF-PRG
688,718
32.2
1,083,120
46.5
Others
-
177,444
8.3
-
-
Total
-
2,139,366
-
2,329,414
-
Regional Council
The left captures the usually conservative Rhône-Alpes region.
See also
External links