French Locals 2008: Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon (PS +3)
Aude: Despite being one of France’s most solid Socialist departments, the right nevertheless controls Carcassone, the department’s major city. And they held it despite the Socialist hopes to score an upset. It was close, with 50.22% of the runoff vote favouring the UMP incumbent. However, in the 37-year old right-wing city of Narbonne, the Socialists scored a large upset win, taking 57% to the DVD incumbent’s 43%. In Limoux, the task of holding the city was quite easy for the PS, who took 100%. In Castelnaudary, the Socialists crushed right-wing hopes at a pickup, and won 67% in the first round. In the general council, the Socialists barely extended their already enormous majority. Former presidential candidate Gerard Schivardi (PT) kept his seat in the general council and his seat as Mayor of Mailhac. Total PS +1
Gard: Formerly a Communist region, with the PCF bases in the Cevennes and Petite Camargue, the Gard is slowly shifting to the right. In Nimes, the UMP mayor Jean-Paul Fournier handily defeated the former PCF mayor Alain Clary 54-46. Same scenario in Ales, where Max Roustan (UMP) won by the first round, taking 54% to 23.8% to the PCF, 16.7% to the PS and 5.7% to the FN (the FN used to be relatively big in the Gard, up till 2007 etc). The right held Villeneuve-les-Avignons (58%, R1), Beaucaire (DVD gain from UMP, 41%, R2), Saint-Gilles (42.3%, R2) and Vauvert (50.1%, runoff). The only gain for the left came in Bagnols-sur-Ceze, where the PS took 53.6% in a runoff against a divided right. Total PS +1
Herault: In Montpellier, where some had hoped for a right-wing upset, the left was easily re-elected, so easily that the Greenies declined to support the PS in the runoff because the seat was not in jeopardy. In fact, Helene Mandroux took 51.9% (despite strong Greenies, 18.7%) to 29.5% to the UMP deputy Jacques Domergue. In the suburb of Mauguio, a city where Sarkozy had taken 60% of the vote, the UMP was eliminated by the first round to finish the runoff with a DVG (incumbent)-PS runoff. The right held Luniel, the Communist Sete (despite some saying it was fragile for them), Agde, and Beziers.
Lozere: Despite being administratively part of the Languedoc-Roussillon, Lozere has a political behaviour closer to that of the Cantal or other southern and Catholic regions of the Massif Central. Nevertheless, the left has a small foothold in Mende and the 1st constituency (usually not enough to win). It capitalized on the retirement of the MoDem incumbent there to gain the city for the first time since World War II. Alain Bertrand (PS) took 51.5% in the runoff, defeating the UMP candidate. The right held Marvejols with 44.8% in a runoff against the PS and the MoDem, and held Saint-Chely-d’Apcher in a DVD (inc)-PS-UMP runoff. Total PS +1
Pyrenees-Orientales: Despite the indications by polls that the election in Perpignan would not be close and that the UMP incumbent Jean-Paul Alduy would have no difficulties for re-election, he did have difficulties… and they continue today. In the first round, Alduy won 38.9% to 20.2% to the PS (plus another 15.1% to a DVG list). The FN took 12.3% and qualified for the runoff (they had not done so in 2001 due to a MNR winning 3.7% to the FN’s 9.3%). With the DVG candidate resigning in order to support the Socialist candidate, the race got closer. Alduy ended up winning with 45.48% to 44.11% to the PS, the FN losing votes to be left with 10.4%. Then the stories started. They caught a returning officer with ballots stuffed in his socks. The Socialists called the vote rigged and a symbolic manifestation with socks took place outside the town hall. Alduy was elected mayor by the council (not without some arguments), but the affair is with the courts now. The Socialists want to hold a re-vote. Apart from that, the UMP mayor in Canet-en-Roussillon was easily re-elected, but the UMP attempts to win back the general council failed.
Next: PACA