Seventh constituency for French residents overseas

7th constituency for French residents overseas

French National Assembly constituency
Deputy	none yet -
Department	none (overseas residents)
Canton	none
Voters	138,329

The Seventh constituency for French residents overseas (septième 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.

Area

It covers all French citizens living in sixteen countries in Central and Eastern Europe - specifically, Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Kosovo (recognised by France), Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and Slovakia. As of New Year's Day 2011, it contained 138,329 registered French voters. By far the greatest number of these (111,742) were living in Germany. (In contrast, there were only 121 in Albania.)^[1][2][3]

This constituency elected its first ever representative at the 2012 French legislative election.

Deputies

Election results

2012

Candidates

The list of candidates was officially finalised on 14 May. These are the fifteen candidates:^[4][5]

The Socialist Party has chosen Pierre-Yves Le Borgn', whose work in the field of solar energy is based in Brussels, but who also works in Germany, as its candidate. His deputy (suppléante) is Pascale Seux, a resident of Warsaw.^[6] Le Borgn' is also endorsed by Europe Écologie–The Greens. (Europe Écologie–The Greens initially chose Pierrette Stephan-Letondor, with Florian Chiron as her deputy (suppléant).^[7] A resident of Baden-Württemberg, Stephan-Letondor is a radio-journalist for Südwestrundfunk, and a member of the German party Alliance '90/The Greens.^[8] The party subsequently withdrew its candidate, however, as part of an agreement whereby Europe Écologie–The Greens and the Socialist Party endorsed each other's candidate in several constituencies.^[9])

The Union for a Popular Movement has chosen Ronan Le Gleut. Living in Berlin where he was born in 1976, he currently serves as patent examiner at the European Patent Organisation. Martine Schöppner is his deputy (suppléante).^[10][11]

Éric Bourguignon, of the French Communist Party, is the chosen candidate of the Left Front. His deputy (suppléant) is Michel Cullin.^[12]

The Democratic Movement has chosen Xavier Fourny, with Mathieu Baudier as his deputy.^[5]

The National Front is not presenting a candidate of its own, but has endorsed Agnès Dejouy, of the small, new far-right party Sovereignty, Independence and Freedoms, which is allied to the National Front as part of the "Marine blue gathering" (rassemblement bleu Marine). Matthieu Petit is her deputy.^[5]

The Radical Party (centre-right) and the Republican, Ecologist and Social Alliance (centrist) have jointly chosen Nicolas Jeanneté, a "cultural entrepreneur" and resident of Germany, as their candidate. Elisabeth Duda is his deputy.^[9]

The Radical Party of the Left (centre-left) has chosen Sylvie Olympe-Moreau. Her deputy is Jean-Marie Langlet^[5]

The centrist green party Cap 21 has chosen Bruno Pludermacher, a resident of Munich. He is a freelance engineering consultant. His deputy is Odette Barbosa de Lima.^[13]

Solidarity and Progress, the French branch of the LaRouche movement, is represented by Elodie Viennot, with Théo Genot as her deputy.^[5]

The Liberal Democratic Party has chosen Denis Matton. He is also endorsed by the Christian Democratic Party. Joël Bros is his deputy.^[5]

The Pirate Party has chosen Isabelle Robin, a teacher, who lives partly in Britanny and partly near Wiesbaden, in Germany. Pointing out that the party has no funds, she is campaigning entirely online, through social media. Julien Hue is her deputy.^[14]

Jean-Claude Wambre, a commercial agent established in Nieder-Olm near Mainz, is running as an independent candidate.His deputy is Hervé Messmer.^[15]

Jacques Régnier, who has "lived and worked more than half his life" abroad, primarily in Germany, is standing as an independent candidate, arguing that expatriates have specific needs best served by an independent. Frédéric Halfort is his deputy.^[16]

Hyacinthe Muller, a student of economics and music who has been living almost all his life in Germany, is standing as an independent candidate, with Raphaëlle Deliancourt as his deputy.^[17]

Jacques Werckmann is an independent candidate, with Clément Renaudet as his deputy.^[5]

Results

As in other constituencies, turnout in the first round was low, with a low point of 14.8% in Serbia. Only in Albania did more than half of all registered French citizens vote (59.5%). In Slovakia, turnout was 42.3%; elsewhere, it was below 40%. Socialist candidate Pierre-Yves Le Borgn' finished first by a large margin. He was first in every country except Bulgaria, Kosovo (where he received 3 votes to Ronan Le Gleut's 5), Montenegro (7 votes to Le Gleut's 8), Poland, Romania and Slovakia.^[18][19]

References