The traditional parties are once again protagonists in France after the serious difficulties experienced in recent years. In the regional elections, concluded with the ballots on Sunday 27 June, Gaullists and socialists have divided the country, leaving both the party of President Emmanuel Macron and the one led by Marine Le Pen dry-mouthed. Abstention is confirmed as very high (at 66%), reaching the highest levels since 1958.
What makes the most noise is the defeat of the far-right party Reassembly National in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. After won in the first roundMarine Le Pen's candidate Thierry Mariani was defeated in second place by outgoing governor Renaud Muselier (Les Républicains), who won by 15 points. According to polls, Ressemblement National should have taken first place in 6 of the 12 regions of mainland France. At the end of the game, the party failed to conquer any territory, a result that could create some problems for its leader in view of next year's presidential elections, where according to polls Le Pen is tied with Macron.
President Emmanuel Macron also defeated across the board. En Marche, which was participating in the regionals for the first time in its short history, remained stationary at 7% at a national level, a percentage even lower than that achieved in the first round (10%). It is no coincidence that the general delegate of the République en Marche (LRem), Stanislas Guerini, spoke of "disappointment with the presidential majority".
Turning instead to the winners: the Socialist Party he managed to conquer Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitania. THE Gaullists instead they triumphed in Hauts-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Grand Est, Pays de la Loire, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Normandy.
At the national level, Les Républicains and allies established themselves as the leading political force in the country, winning 38% of the votes. Socialists and ecologists instead reached 34,5%, while Ressemblement National stopped at 20,5% of the preferences. En Marche is at 7%.
