French legislative election, 1981

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

France
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of France

Constitution Fifth Republic Government of France President Jacques Chirac Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin List French Parliament National Assembly Senate Congress Constitutional Council Court of Cassation Political parties Gaullism Elections Presidential: 2002 - 2007 National Assembly: 2002 - 2007 Human rights Subdivisions Regions Departments EU Politics Foreign relations Minister of Foreign Affairs Political scandals French Portal
Other countries · Politics Portal view • talk • edit

French legislative election took place on June 14 and 21, 1981 to elect the 7th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic.

On May 10, 1981 François Mitterrand is elected President of France. He became the first Socialist to rise to this post by the universal suffrage. That was the first alternance of the Fifth Republic.

The new head of State nominated Pierre Mauroy to lead a Socialist cabinet. Then, he dissolved the National Assembly in order that it could rely on a parliamentary majority.

The Socialists achieved the biggest electoral success of their history. This result marked the triumph of Mitterrand's strategy. Like the Gaullist UDR in 1968, the Socialist Party obtained an absolute parliamentary majority. Its Communist partner declined. However, four Communists fit in government. That was the first PCF governmental participation since 1947.

The previous right-wing majority is down-cast. It was victim of the economic crisis, the will of changes, the rivalry between Jacques Chirac and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and the defeat of this one at the second round of the presidentail election. The creation of the "Union for a New Majority" has not convinced voters. It appeared as a false reconciliation.

[edit] Results

[discuss] – [edit]
Parties and coalitions		Abbr.	Votes (1st round)	% (1st round)	Seats (2nd round)
	Socialist Party (Parti socialiste)	PS	9 077 435	36.0	266
	French Communist Party (Parti communiste français)	PCF	4 065 962	16.1	44
	Movement of Left Radicals (Mouvement des radicaux de gauche)	MRG	354 632	1.4	14
	Miscellaneous Left-wing	DVG	187 230	0.7	9
	Total "Presidential Majority" (Left)		13 685 259	54.3	333
	Rally for the Republic (Rassemblement pour la République)	RPR	5 258 328	20.9	85
	Union for French Democracy ( union pour la démocratie française)	UDF	4 835 552	19.2	62
	Miscellaneous Right-wing	DVD	706 926	2.8	11
	Total "Union for a New Majority" (Right)		10 800 806	42.9	158
	Far-Left		343 831	1.4	-
	Ecologists	ECO	271 287	1.1	-
	National Front (Front national)	FN	90 392	0.4	-
	Total		25 191 575	100	491
Abstention: 29.7% (1st round); 25.0% (2nd round)