What has just ended was an electoral weekend with overwhelming results. In France the centre-right wins, while Marine Le Pen's far right repeats last week's exploits and the socialists collapse, only managing to keep the stronghold of Paris, where the socialist Anne Hidalgo becomes the first female mayor. In Turkey, however, the secular forces fail the approach maneuvers: Erdogan triumphs once again.
After the second round of the municipal elections, "the first party in France is the UMP", exulted the conservative leader, Jean-Francois Copè, strong with his 45,91% at national level, against 40,57% of the socialists and 6,84% of the Front National. According to figures provided by the interior minister, Manuel Valls, after snatching 90 town halls from the right in 2008, the left is now losing 155 of the largest (over 9.000 inhabitants). “Ten cities of over 100.000 inhabitants pass from left to right – specified Valls – as well as 40 municipalities between 30.000 and 100.000 inhabitants” and 105 “between 9.000 and 30.000 inhabitants”.
The case of Limoges is sensational, since 1912 governed by the left, and passed to the centre-right. The socialists also lost Saint-Etienne, Reims, Quimper, Nevers, Dunkirk, Angers, Tours and Amiens. Instead they keep Metz, Rennes, Brest, Lens, Strasbourg and conquer Avignon. Marine Le Pen's far-right movement – which presented candidates in only 600 municipalities out of more than 36.000 – has conquered 13 cities, including two major centres, Frejus and Beziers. At this point, the government of François Hollande is heading towards a reshuffle.
As for Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan proclaims victory and threatens his opponents: "They will pay the price" for months of tensions and challenges, which transformed yesterday's administrations into a sort of referendum on the Turkish premier himself. The polls comforted the head of the Executive: with the counting of the ballots practically completed, the candidates of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) were confirmed with a clear victory. About 45% of the preferences, well ahead of the main competitor, the Republican People's Party (CHP, center-left), which stopped at 28,5%.
Erdogan therefore relaunched against the opposition and, above all, against "the traitors" of the brotherhood of imam Fethullah Gulen, whom he accuses of plotting to bring down his government. “Today the people of Turkey have dismantled all the amoral plans and traps, those that have attacked Turkey have been proven wrong – stated the Premier in front of thousands of his supporters gathered in front of the Akp headquarters in Ankara -. There won't be a state within a state, the time has come to eliminate them”.
The AKP maintained control of the largest city in the country, Istanbul, while ballots were counted in Ankara overnight with a very close gap to the CHP, a few thousand votes, and the final result could come after a partial recount. Smyrna, the stronghold of the laity, seems to be confirmed by the Chp. On the sidelines of the great national elections, but confirming a widespread tense climate and rivalries that often lead to bloodshed, election day in Turkey recorded 9 deaths.
