The departmental elections seem to be another defeat for the PS and the left and a new stepping stone forward for the National Front. However, it is the UMP that is expected to reap the rewards, according to political experts.
Currently, while the left controls about sixty out of 101 departments, and the right about forty, the UMP aims to reverse this balance of power to become the majority.
On a national level, it is estimated that between thirty and forty departments will shift from left to right. In the PACA region, the FN hopes to win Var and Vaucluse… and especially to significantly increase the number of their elected officials in the departmental councils.
In the Alpes-Maritimes, the outgoing president Eric Ciotti is almost certain to be re-elected.
The left (or even better, the lefts) will present themselves divided, with the radical left determined to make this election an opportunity to express its opposition to the government’s national policy, even at the risk of benefiting the candidates from the right and far-right lists.
In terms of predictions, the left can count on the election of Marie-Louise Gourdon in Mouans-Sartoux and the Mottard couple in the 5th canton of Nice, while communists and the far left can hope for the re-election of Francis Tujague in the Paillon Valley.
Slim pickings, but they’ll have to make do with that…
Ultimately, the question to ask is: how many National Front candidates will be able to get elected in the potential second-round duels, given that the FN has fielded candidates in all districts (54 for 27 districts) with the wind in their sails…
The UMP, with its traditional ally UDI, benefits from institutional backing that allows it to leverage its clientelist networks, which are always useful on such occasions.
Noteworthy is the tactical maneuver by Christian Estrosi, who placed his deputies from the Nice city council as candidates in the nine Nice districts.
Once elected, whom will they answer to? To the President of the General Council, or will they be the “long hand” of the Mayor of Nice and President of the Metropolis within the departmental assembly?
Sometimes, politics works like that…
