French legislative election, 1988

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French legislative election took place on June 5 and 12, 1988 to elect the 9th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic. On May 8, François Mitterrand had been reelected President of France. His unlucky challenger, the RPR Prime minister Jacques Chirac, resigned.

The theme of Mitterrand's campaign had been "united France". An alliance between the Socialists and the center-right was evoked. Some politicians and commentators suggested to not dissolve the National Assembly and to nominate an UDF Prime minister (Valéry Giscard d'Estaing or Simone Veil). President Mitterrand refused. Indeed, the polls indicated a "pink surge" if a new legislative election was organized. However, he chose the moderate Socialist Michel Rocard to lead the cabinet.

The Socialist Party obtained only a relative parliamentary majority. Some personalities of "civil society" and four UDF politicians fit in the government. They were supported by a minority of their party, which created a new parliamentary group: the Union of Center. The executive power relied on the "Presidential Majority", which widened towards the Union of Center or the Communist Party depending on the topicals.

[edit] Results

[discuss] – [edit]
Parties and coalitions		Abbr.	Votes (1st round)	% (1st round)	Seats (2nd round)
	Socialist Party (Parti socialiste)	PS	8 493 602	34,8	260
	French Communist Party (Parti communiste français)	PCF	2 765 761	11,3	27
	Miscellaneous Left-wing	DVG	403 690	1,7	7
	Movement of Left Radicals (Mouvement des radicaux de gauche)	MRG	272 316	1,1	9
	Total Left ("Presidential Majority" and PCF)		11 935 469	48.9	303
	Rally for the Republic (Rassemblement pour la République)	RPR	4 687 047	19.2	126
	Union for French Democracy (Union pour la démocratie française)	UDF	4 519 459	18,5	129
	Miscellaneous Right-wing	DVD	697 272	2,9	16
	Total "Union of the Rally and the Center" (Right)		9 903 778	40,5	271
	National Front (Front national)	FN	2 359 528	9,7	1
	Far-Left		89 065	0.4	-
	Ecologists	ECO	86 312	0,4	-
	Miscellaneous		57 943	0,2	-
	Total		24 432 095	100	575
Abstention: 34.3% (1st round) 30.1% (2nd round)