French Locals 2008: Bretagne, Pays de la Loire, Poitou-Charentes
Bretagne (UMP&DVD +4)
Ille-et-Vilaine: The result in Ille-et-Vilaine was status quo, as it had been expected to some extent. Daniel Delaveau, Edmond Herve’s chosen successor, was easily elected in the socialist city of Rennes in a three-way runoff against the UMP and the MoDem. In fact Delaveau increased his mentor’s 2001 score. In Saint-Malo, the UMP incumbent was re-elected in a three-way runoff with the MoDem. In Vitre, the long time stronghold of Pierre Mehaignerie, the figure of the UDF and later UMP in the department, Mehaignerie was re-elected by the first round with 62.4%. The race in Fougères could have been interesting if Thierry Benoit, the centrist MP for the Fougères constituency, had thrown his hat into the race. That was not to be, and the Socialist incumbent was re-elected with over 60%. Redon, which is slowly trending Socialist, was a Socialist target, but the DVD incumbent was re-elected. In Dinard, the most solid right-wing city in the department, the right took the leisure of going into the election divided (as they do in everyone of their strongholds) between 2 DVD lists. The DVD list led by the incumbent mayor was re-elected with 47.28 against 43.69 for the other DVD candidate. However, the canton of Dinard flipped to the Left Radicals in the cantonales elections!
Cotes d’Armor: In the left-wing bastion that is Cotes d’Armor, the left has reason to be deceived. In Saint-Brieuc, a Socialist stronghold gained by the UDF in 2001 and now held by the MoDem, the MoDem incumbent, supported by the UMP, was re-elected, and even increased his score over 2001, winning 54.3% agaist 51.7% in 2001. In Dinan, another Socialist target, the right was re-elected. Unsurprisingly, the left sweeped re-election in Lannion and Guingamp while the right was re-elected in Loudeac, the department’s most right-wing city.
Morbihan: As in Ille-et-Vilaine, the status-quo prevailed in the right-leaning Morbihan. The UMP incumbent, a notable anti-Sarkozy, was re-elected in Vannes with 51.6 and the Socialists won by the first round, as expected, in Lorient with 64%. The left also held Auray, a right-wing target, and Pontivy.
Finistere: The left’s only major gain regionwide was in Quimper, Finistere where the MEP Bernard Poignant and mayor of the city from 1998 to 2001 retrieved his seat, lost to the right in 2001, in a three-way runoff against the UMP and the MoDem. The UMP incumbent was not standing for re-election. In Brest, the PS incumbent was re-elected with over 60%. However, the rest of the department was extremely favourable to the right! Right-wing candidates defeated left-wing incumbents in Morlaix, Landerneau, Douarnenez, Quimperle, and Concarneau; all cities which vote for the left in other elections. Total UMP&DVD +4.
Loire-Atlantique: Another department that ended up entirely status-quo. Ayrault was easily re-elected in Nantes with 55.7% by the first round, like in 2001. In Saint-Nazaire, the Socialist incumbent needed to wait until the runoff to be elected, but his seat was never in jeopardy anyways. The right held on successfully to its strongholds in La Baule-Escoublac and Guerande, and squeaked through in Orvault.
Pays de la Loire (=)
Vendee: Guess what happened here? Status-quo! The left swept through in La Roche-sur-Yon by the first round and held Fontenay-le-Comte by a whisker. The right had hoped to win Fontenay-le-Comte, but they did what they’re best at: run divided in the runoff and lose! The right did hold Les Herbiers, Challans, and Les Sables-d’Olonne. Philippe de Villiers, the MPF leader and the Führer of Vendee since 1988 was given another term in office.
Maine-et-Loire: The right had hoped to win Angers, and the UMP candidate did come first in the first round. However, with good vote reserves from the far-left and the PCF, the Socialist incumbent squeaked back into office by a whisker. In the southwest the UMP held Cholet by the first round and gained Saumur from the Greenies. Total UMP +1
Mayenne: In Mayenne, the left gained Laval, a city it had lost in 1995 to the right, by the first round. The left was easily returned in Mayenne (city, not department!) and the right was easily re-elected in Château-Gontier. The MoDem president of the department Jean Arthuis was re-elected. Total PS +1
Sarthe: Guess what happened here? Status-quo! As expected, the Socialists easily held onto Le Mans by the first round and the PS incumbent in La Flèche. The right, on its side, held on to Sable-sur-Sarthe very easily and as expected. I don’t go off into small villages, but in the village of Solesmes the Prime Minister, Francois Fillon, held onto his seat in the city council.
Poitou-Charentes (PS +3)
Charente-Maritime: The only gain in the major cities of Charente-Maritime was the PS victory in Saintes. The PS mayor Maxime Bono held La Rochelle by the first, as expected, and retained Rochefort 52-48 in the runoff. The right, on its side, held Royan. In the general council, the UMP majority was returned, but the department is now led by the former UMP minister of Transports Dominique Bussereau. Total PS +1
Charente: The Charente department confirmed its alliegance to the left by dumping two right-wing incumbents in Angoulême (the department’s prefecture) and Cognac while retaining the PS majority in the general council. Total PS +2
Deux-Sevres: The home department of Segolene Royal, the PS leader of the region, continued trending to the left. In Niort, the department’s main city, the left was returned (but the incumbent himself was defeated in favour of another Socialist) very easily. The left also gained Thouars, located in the north of the department while the right held onto its cities of Bressuire and Parthenay. The department swinged to the left, with the Socialists ending the right-wing domination of the department in effect since the 1970s. Total PS +1
Vienne: In Poitiers, the Socialist incumbent was returned by the first round. In Loudun, the right held the city, despite the incumbent retiring. The New Centre gained Châtellerault, the department’s second largest city, with the election of NC deputy Jean-Pierre Abelin. Total NC +1
Next: Centre, Normandie