The numbers are staggering.
Never, under the Fifth Republic, had so few voters gone to the polls during the legislative elections.
Abstention in the first round is estimated at 52.5%, or more than one in two voters.
This historically low participation, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne believes that “
nobody can resolve it
”.
Speaking after the results of the first round this Sunday evening, the leader of the majority affirms that the “
first collective duty is to reduce abstention
”.
For this, the Prime Minister announces that the government “
will continue to work on this, by reforming our institutions and modernizing the dialogue with all of society
”.
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“Tell them to believe in the strength of their vote”
Without specifying in detail what these institutional reforms will be, the Prime Minister nevertheless recalled her desire, "
with the government, with the entire majority
", to "
continue to act and provide concrete responses to the difficulties of the French people and prepare our future
”.
Finally, the Prime Minister wished to send a mobilizing message to the very many voters who decided to shun the ballot boxes during this first round of the legislative elections: "
I want to tell (them) this evening to believe in the strength of their vote and to do hear their voice next Sunday
.
Nevertheless, abstention during the ballot has been steadily increasing for twenty years.
In 2002, some 64.42% of voters voted in the legislative elections.
Since then, the electoral calendar has been reversed, so that this election closely follows the presidential election.
After a slight drop in turnout in 2007 (60.44%) and 2012 (57.22%), a plunge took place in 2017. Only 48.7% of French people turned out to vote, which is already less one out of two voters.
Read alsoÉlisabeth Borne, a prime minister in search of legitimization
This time, the fact that the president was re-elected without going through the cohabitation box, as well as the unexpected union of the left behind Jean-Luc Mélenchon, deprived the coalition of the presidential majority called " Together!".
Herself a candidate, and coming first in Calvados, Elisabeth Borne therefore hopes with these words to mobilize voters by the second round next Sunday, June 19.