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First French legislative constituency for citizens abroad

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1st constituency for French residents overseas
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Constituency of the
National Assembly of France
Deputy
Frédéric Lefebvre
UMP
Departmentnone (overseas residents)
Cantonsnone
Registered voters186,462

The First constituency for French residents overseas (première circonscription des Français établis hors de France) is one of eleven constituencies representing French citizens living abroad. It was created by the 2010 redistricting of French legislative constituencies and elects, since 2012, one representative to the French National Assembly.

It represents all French citizens living in Canada and the United States. It is the most populous constituency of its kind, as it contained, as of New Year's Day 2011, 186,462 registered French voters.[1][2]

Area represented

The First constituency for French residents overseas encompass the following countries and French consular constituencies:

Elections

Deputy

Election Name Party
style="background-color: Template:Socialist Party (France)/meta/color" | 2012 Corinne Narassiguin PS & EELV
style="background-color: Template:Union for a Popular Movement/meta/color" | 2013 Frédéric Lefebvre UMP

2012 election

Candidates

The list of candidates was officially finalised on 14 May. There were eighteen candidates:[3][4]

The Union for a Popular Movement chose Finance Minister Christine Lagarde (who had never been a member of Parliament) as its candidate in April 2011.[5] Lagarde, however, subsequently became Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, and in November the party chose Frédéric Lefebvre, Secretary of State for Commerce, to replace her as candidate.[6]

The Socialist Party chose Corinne Narassiguin, a resident of New York City. Her deputy (suppléant) was originally Yves Alavo, a resident of Montreal.[7] Europe Écologie–The Greens had chosen Rémi Piet, with Sabrina Feddal as his deputy (suppléante).[8] Piet, a resident of Miami, teaches international relations at the University of Miami.[9] In January 2012, Europe Écologie–The Greens and the Socialist Party merged their efforts to create a new ticket featuring Corinne Narassiguin (Socialist) and Cyrille Giraud (EELV), a resident of Montreal.[4][10]

The Democratic Movement chose Carole Granade. A resident of San Francisco, she was a former director of the city's French American Chamber of Commerce.[11]

The Left Front, which includes the French Communist Party, chose Céline Clément, a senior lecturer in Psychology at the University of Strasbourg. She had several years' experience working in Quebec, and a Canadian partner. Her deputy (suppléant) was Thomas Collombat, a professor of Quebec Studies at Western Washington University.[12]

The National Front chose Claire Savreux.[4]

The centre-right Radical Party and the centrist Republican, Ecologist and Social Alliance jointly chose Philippe Manteau as their candidate. He was also endorsed by the Liberal Democratic Party.[13] Aurélia Palvel-Marmont was his deputy (suppléante).[4]

The centre-left Radical Party of the Left chose Stéphanie Bowring, a long-term resident of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, and a dual citizen of France and Canada. Jean Lachaud was her deputy (suppléant).[14]

The Pirate Party chose Raphaël Clayette, with Olivier Henebelle as his deputy (suppléant).[4]

Solidarity and Progress, the French branch of the LaRouche movement, was represented by Karel Vereycken, with Dominique Revault-D'Allonnes as his deputy. Vereycken described himself as a friend of Jacques Cheminade and Lyndon LaRouche.[15]

Julien Balkany, a resident of New York City and a member of the Union for a Popular Movement, stood as a dissident candidate, having failed to obtain the party's endorsement. François Lubrina was his deputy (suppléant).[16]

Gérard Michon, a resident of the United States for 31 years who was serving his fourth mandate at the Assembly of French Citizens Abroad, for the constituency including San Francisco, stood as an independent candidate. Despite being a member of the Union for a Popular Movement, he too stood against the party's endorsed candidate. Marc Cormier was his deputy (suppléant).[17][18]

Antoine Treuille, a businessman, president of the French-American Foundation, and long-term resident of the United States, stood as an independent right-wing candidate.[19] If elected, he said he would sit with the Union for a Popular Movement.[20]

Christophe Navel was an independent candidate, presenting himself as neither left nor right. Matthieu Deborde was his deputy (suppléant).[21]

Mike Remondeau was an independent candidate. A 31-year-old resident of Tampa, Florida, he was studying for a Masters degree in political sciences. He called his political movement the "Circle of North Americans" (Cercle des Nord-Américains), and stood on a platform of "ideological laïcité", and a common cultural identity for French residents in North America. Christian Routier was his deputy.[4][22]

Emile Servan-Schreiber, with Christian Déséglise as his deputy, was an "independent centre-right" candidate.[20]

The other independent candidates were: Louis Le Guyader (with Claire Le Guyader as his deputy); Jean-Michel Vernochet (with Lieu Nguyen as his deputy); and Rob Temene (with Betty Millet as his deputy).[4]

Campaign

Due in part to the sheer size of the constituency, certain candidates barely campaigned at all, while others "made every effort to travel around" the United States and Canada and "mobilise their scattered voters". Los Angeles, with a sizable French expatriate population, was a focal point for some. Among issues of concern to voters were education (access to French schools for their children) and retirement pensions.[23]

On 23 May, France 24 organised a televised debate in New York City for the eight candidates it deemed "active" in terms of their campaign : Corinne Narassiguin (Socialist), Frédéric Lefebvre (UMP) Carole Granade (MoDem), Philippe Manteau (ARES), Julien Balkany (dissident UMP), Gérard Michon (dissident UMP), Antoine Treuille (misc. right), and Emile Servan-Schreiber (misc. right). Seven of the invited candidates took part; Lefebvre indicated he did not wish to.[20][24]

Results

Turnout in the first round was low: 22.5% in Canada and 18.9% in the United States. With the mainstream right strongly divided (four dissident candidates standing against the UMP-endorsed candidate), Socialist Corinne Narassiguin obtained a comfortable lead in the first round, in both countries of the constituency.[25][26]

In the second round, Narassiguin won by a comfortable margin, in what was described as an "incredible" win for the left. The constituency had been deemed a safe seat for the right. Commentators in Libération pointed to Narassiguin's strong and active campaign, and suggested that rightwing voters had rejected UMP candidate Frédéric Lefebvre, who spoke little English and was perceived as knowing little about North America.[27]

Legislative Election 2012: Overseas residents 1 - 2nd round[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PS Corinne Narassiguin 15,782 54.01 −
UMP Frédéric Lefebvre 13,441 45.99 −
Turnout 29,869 19.07 −
PS win (new seat)
Legislative Election 2012: Overseas residents 1 - 1st round[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PS Corinne Narassiguin 12 529 39.65 −
UMP Frédéric Lefebvre 6 977 22.08 −
DVD Emile Servan-Schreiber 2 115 6.69 −
DVD Julien Balkany 2 089 6.61 −
DVD Antoine Treuille 1 611 5.10 −
MoDem Carole Granade 1 561 4.94 −
FN Claire Savreux 1 355 4.29 −
FG Céline Clément 901 2.85 −
DVD Gérard Michon 705 2.23 −
Radical Philippe Manteau 447 1.41 −
PP Raphaël Clayette 409 1.29 −
Independent Christophe Navel 403 1.28 −
PRG Stéphanie Bowring 328 1.04 −
SP Karel Vereycken 119 0.38 −
Independent Rob Temene 17 0.05 −
Independent Jean-Michel Vernochet 17 0.05 −
Independent Louis Le Guyader 10 0.03 −
Independent Mike Remondeau 6 0.02 −
Turnout 31 958 20.4 −
Subsequent invalidation

In February 2013, the election of Corinne Narassiguin was annulled by the Constitutional Council, due to irregularities in the funding of her electoral campaigns. She was barred from standing for public office for a period of one year. Defeated candidates Antoine Treuille and Emile Servan-Schreiber were also barred from standing for public office for a year, for the same reason.[29]

2013 by-election

Following the invalidation of the 2012 election, a by-election was held on May 25 and June 8, 2013.[30]

Candidates

The list of candidates was officially released on May 6, 2013, with twelve candidates:[31]

The Socialist Party was represented by Franck Scemama who lived in France. His deputy was Annie Michel.[32]

The Union for a Popular Movement was represented once again by Frédéric Lefebvre. His deputy was Olivier Piton.[33]

Europe Ecology – The Greens was represented by Cyrille Giraud who had been deputy to Narassiguin in the previous election. His deputy was Emmanuelle Garcia-Guillen.[34]

The Left Front was represented once again by Céline Clément. Her deputy was Jean-Baptiste Plouhinec.

The Democratic Movement was represented by Nicolas Druet who lived in Montreal. His deputy was Martine Volard.[35]

The Union of Democrats and Independents was represented by Louis Giscard d'Estaing who lived in Chamalières, France. His deputy was Séverine Boitier.[36]

The Rally of French Citizens Abroad (Rassemblement des Français de l’étranger) was represented by Damien Regnard who lived in New Orleans. His deputy was Virginie Beaudet.[37]

The National Front was represented by Thierry Franck Fautre who lived in Florida. His deputy was Sylvie Verez.

The Pirate Party was represented by Véronique Vermorel who lived in Boston. Her deputy was Mathieu Chambefort.[38]

Solidarity and Progress was represented once again by Karel Vereycken.

Nicolas Rousseaux was an independent candidate who lived in France. His deputy was Raphaël Rousseaux.[39]

Pauline Czartoryska was an independent candidate who lived in France and previously worked in Maryland.[40] Her deputy was Emmanuèle Pillard.

Results
Legislative Election 2013: Overseas residents 1 - 2nd round[41]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UMP Frédéric Lefebvre 10,937 53.72 +7.73
PS Franck Scemama 9,423 46.28 −7.73
Turnout 20,360 13.89
UMP gain from PS Swing -
Legislative Election 2013: Overseas residents 1 - 1st round[42]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UMP Frédéric Lefebvre 5,863 29.15 +7.07
PS Franck Scemama 5,024 24.98 −14.67 (PS + EELV)
DVD Damien Regnard 2,548 12.67 NA
UDI Louis Giscard d'Estaing 1,735 8.63 NA
EELV Cyrille Giraud 1,486 7.39 NA
MoDem Nicolas Druet 1,208 6.01 +1.07
FG Céline Clément 835 4.15 +1.3
FN Thierry Franck Fautre 751 3.73 −0.5
PP Véronique Vermorel 502 2.50 +1.21
Independent Pauline Czartoryska 55 0.27 NA
Independent Nicolas Rousseaux 53 0.26 NA
SP Karel Vereycken 50 0.25 −0.13
Turnout 20,110 13.46 −6.94

French president

2007 election

French president election: Overseas residents 1 - 2nd round
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PS Ségolène Royal 20,523 43.85 −
UMP Nicolas Sarkozy 26,275 56.15 −

2012 election

French president election: Overseas residents 1 - 2nd round
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PS François Hollande 46.37 +2.52
UMP Nicolas Sarkozy 53.63 −2.52

Assembly of French citizens abroad

The first constituency for French residents overseas encompasses six voting constituency for the assembly of French citizens abroad.

2009 election

Constituency Region Number of seats Election results
First Canada Five 3 RFE, 2 ADFE
Second Canada Three 2 UDIL, 1 ADFE
First United States Five 2 ADFE, 2 UDIL, 1 RFE
Second United States One 1 ADFE
Third United States One 1 RFE
Fourth United States Four 2 UMP, 1 ADFE, 1 unaffiliated

Canadian protest

In September 2011, the Canadian Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that it would not accept the inclusion of Canada into an electoral constituency of any foreign state. It explained that it was concerned an elected representative of French residents to the French National Assembly might be perceived as a representative of Canada, thus undermining the perception of Canadian sovereignty. In practice, however, officials admitted they could not prevent French residents from voting. (Canada also stated it could not accept its inclusion in similar overseas constituencies established by Tunisia and Italy, stating that Tunisians in Canada would be forbidden from electing a representative, and demanding that Italy abolish its overseas constituency which includes Canada.)[43]

The French Foreign Affairs Ministry stated in January 2012 that French residents in Canada would indeed be able to elect a representative for the French communities of North America, even as the Canadian Foreign Affairs Ministry reiterated that this was not acceptable. Le Monde wrote that there would probably be a "de facto compromise", whereby Canada would tacitly recognise the diplomatic inviolability of French consulates where the voting would take place. This was what had happened for the election of a Tunisian constituent assembly in October 2011, where Canada had objected to the existence of "international districts" for the Tunisian legislature, but had done nothing in practice to prevent Tunisians residents in Canada from electing a representative.[44]

References

  1. ^ "Décret n° 2011-367 du 4 avril 2011 authentifiant la population des Français établis hors de France au 1er janvier 2011", Légifrance
  2. ^ "Les élections en 2012 à l’étranger: Votre circonscription pour l’élection des députés" Archived July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
  3. ^ "Arrêté du 14 mai 2012 fixant la liste des candidats au premier tour de l'élection des députés élus par les Français établis hors de France ", Journal Officiel de la République Française, 15 May 2012
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Candidates for the 1st constituency, Le Petit Journal, updated on 13 January 2012
  5. ^ "Législatives : l'UMP a désigné ses candidats pour l'étranger", Le Figaro, April 13, 2011
  6. ^ "Amérique du Nord : l'UMP désigne Lefebvre", Le Journal du dimanche, 25 November 2011
  7. ^ "Elections législatives 2012 : nos candidates et candidats" Archived June 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Parti Socialiste - Fédération des Français à l'Etranger
  8. ^ "Motion 13: Législatives 2012: Hors de France"[permanent dead link‍], Europe Écologie–The Greens
  9. ^ "Les 11 candidat-e-s EELV sur les circonscriptions législatives hors de France" Archived January 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, EELV, 12 November 2011
  10. ^ About Cyrille Giraud, on the official website of Corinne Narassiguin
  11. ^ "Présentation de Carole Granade", Le Petit Journal
  12. ^ "Présentation de Céline Clément", Le Petit Journal
  13. ^ Véron, Aurélien (20 May 2012). "Candidats soutenus par le Parti Libéral Démocrate aux législatives 2012" (in French). Liberal Democratic Party. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  14. ^ "Présentation de Stéphanie Bowring", Le Petit Journal
  15. ^ "Présentation de Karel Vereycken", Le Petit Journal
  16. ^ "Balkany l'Américain, ou la guerre du 92 exportée aux USA", Libération, 8 December 2011
  17. ^ "Gerard Michon: Député 2.0", Le Canard US, 18 January 2012
  18. ^ "L'UMP choisira son candidat à la députation pour l'Amérique du Nord mi-novembre", France-Amérique, 14 October 2011
  19. ^ "Présentation de Antoine Treuille", Le Petit Journal
  20. ^ a b c "À New York, des candidats à la députation débattent", France 24, 24 May 2012
  21. ^ "Présentation de Christophe Navel", Le Petit Journal
  22. ^ "Présentation de Mike Remondeau", Le Petit Journal
  23. ^ "En Amérique du Nord, l'UMP Frédéric Lefebvre fait figure de "parachuté" à droite", Le Monde, 26 May 2012
  24. ^ "Des candidats à la conquête de l’Amérique", Libération, 1 June 2012
  25. ^ a b Official results of the first round, French Ministry for Foreign Affairs
  26. ^ "Législatives : tous les résultats des Français de l'étranger", Le Nouvel Observateur, 4 June 2012
  27. ^ "La vague socialiste emporte même l'Amérique!", Libération, 17 June 2012
  28. ^ "Résultats du 2nd tour - 17 juin 2012 dans la 1ère circonscription - Amérique du Nord", Le Monde
  29. ^ "Le Conseil constitutionnel annule l'élection de deux députées PS des Français de l'étranger", Le Monde, 15 February 2013
  30. ^ http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000027299721
  31. ^ http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000027393627&dateTexte=&oldAction=rechJO&categorieLien=id
  32. ^ http://www.franckscemama.com/
  33. ^ http://frederic-lefebvre.fr/campagne-2013/
  34. ^ http://cyrillegiraud.fr/
  35. ^ http://www.nicolasdruet2013.com/
  36. ^ http://www.louis-pourusacanada.com/
  37. ^ http://www.damienregnard2013.com/
  38. ^ http://www.candidatscitoyens.org/vermorel2013/
  39. ^ http://www.forcerepublicaine.fr/
  40. ^ http://transatlantiques.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/pauline-czartoryska/
  41. ^ http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/IMG/pdf/Circonscription_1_-_resultats_globaux_cle03d9e5.pdf
  42. ^ http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/vivre-a-l-etranger/vivre-a-l-etranger-vos-droits-et/elections-legislatives-partielles/article/elections-legislatives-partielles-107016
  43. ^ "Le vote étranger, l'exception canadienne", La Presse, 6 October 2011
  44. ^ "Les Français du Canada pourront voter aux législatives, assure le Quai d'Orsay", Le Monde, 4 January 2011

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