This was the first round, correct? Curiously low turnout (~51% compared to 67% for the presidential vote) – is this a normal gap or will enthusiasm increase for the ‘real’ vote?
The turnout is down 8% from the Legislatives of 2012 if I remember this correctly. Normally the 2nd round loses a slight percentage. Comparison should be done to the prior Legislatives not to the Presidentials.
La République en marche-MoDem : 355 sièges (of which 311 for LRM) [Presidential];
Les Républicains-UDI-divers droite : 125 sièges (of which101 for the LR) [Republicans, center right];
Parti socialiste-Parti radical de gauche-divers gauche : 49 sièges (of which 34 for the PS) ;
La France insoumise : 19 sièges ;
Parti communiste : 11 sièges ;
Front national : 8 sièges ;
Divers : 10 sièges.
So the FN performed miserably, the new innovation center performed excellently, the tired old unreformed PS is massacred, the opposition core will come from the traditional center right.
Maybe the Americans should stop gazing at their own bellies for lessons and what to see if Macron and his new approach can show a revitalized center that is liberal in its politics and economics but addresses the problems of the current economy for those below the top 15% in income earning to avoid the future radicalism.
A note of caution. It’s probably best to wait and see how Macron gets on governing before taking lessons from him. During the last couple of election cycles in the UK we have had Clegg-mania, Sturgeon-mania, May-mania, Scottish Independence mania, the death of Scottish independence mania, death of two party politics mania, the resurgence of two party politics mania, rise of UKIP mania, death of UKIP mania, permanent Conservative majority mania, death of the Labour Party mania and now Corbyn mania. All within around 6 years. Im convinced virtually no-one has a bloody clue about where politics are going and what lessons need learned.
Deutsche Welle is reporting that Marine Le Pen won a seat, but the Front National won’t have enough seats to form a formal group in the National Assembly.