When Francois Hollande decided to go ahead with local government reform his party held 21 of the 22 regions. By reducing them to 13 at a time of his great unpopularity, with all right wing parties rising in the polls and especially in local and departmental elections it looks like another shot in his own foot.
We in Midi Pyrenees seem to have paid a particularly heavy price, with the National Front support in Languedoc Roussillon heavily out-weighing the left leaning parties in Midi Pyrenees. In the south east part of the new region the FN scored 39% of the vote, to the left's 19%, whereas in Midi Pyrenees the left leads the FN by 29% to 26%. In many other "old" regions the left and the centre right might have hoped to overturn the FN, but to win the "new" regions it can mean painful choices. In two regions where the PS and allies were well behind they have withdrawn their lists, leaving the field to the FN and LR (Les Republicans). Whoever of those wins, the other will be a right wing opposition, with no left wing representation at all. In a system supposedly of proportional representation that seems a bit undemocratic, but is it worth it to make a "barrage" against a proto dictatorial party?
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