| French National Assembly circonscription |
||
|---|---|---|
| Deputy | none yet - |
|
| Department | none (overseas residents) | |
| Canton | none | |
| Population (2011) | 186,462 | |
The First constituency for French residents overseas (première circonscription des Français établis hors de France) is one of eleven constituencies each electing one representative of French citizens overseas to the French National Assembly.
It covers 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]
This constituency will elect its first ever representative at the 2012 French legislative election.
Contents |
Five candidates are known at present.
The Union for a Popular Movement in April 2011 chose Finance Minister Christine Lagarde (who had never been a member of Parliament) as its candidate.[3] 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.[4]
The Socialist Party has chosen Corinne Narassiguin, a resident of New York City. Her deputy (suppléant) is Yves Alavo, a resident of Montreal.[5]
The Democratic Movement will announce its candidate towards the end of December 2011.[6]
Europe Écologie–The Greens has chosen Rémi Piet, with Sabrina Feddal as his deputy (suppléante).[7] Piet, a resident of Miami, teaches international relations at the University of Miami.[8]
The French Communist Party has said it will have a candidate in every constituency for overseas residents, but has yet to name them.[9]
Julien Balkany, a member of the Union for a Popular Movement, will stand as a dissident candidate, having failed to obtain the party's endorsement. He is a resident of New York City.[10]
Philippe Régnoux will stand as a candidate of his newly established Here for Tomorrow party (Ici Pour Demain). A resident of Quebec, he is at the head of an advertising agency.[11]
| Legislative Election 2012: Overseas residents 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Miscellaneous right | Julien Balkany | ||||
| UMP | Frédéric Lefebvre | ||||
| PS | Corinne Narassiguin | ||||
| EELV | Rémi Piet | ||||
| Independent | Philippe Régnoux | ||||
| Turnout | |||||
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.)[12]
|
|
|||||