France, record number of ‘triangulars’ in the second round: what they are

“Triangular”. It is the ‘key word’ six days before the second round of the early legislative elections in France. In fact it is a ‘three-way ballot’. Or even four (“quadrangular”). And Sunday 7 July could be a record of “triangular”, ‘desistance’ and case by case aside. As many as 307, compared to the eight in 2022 and the single ‘triangular’ election in 2017. A motivated figure, observers explain, with the high turnout at the polls, but it is not certain because the candidates have until 6pm tomorrow to deposit – or not – the candidacy in view of the vote on Sunday 7 July. And in these hours each party makes its ‘strategy’.

In France, the winner in the first round is whoever obtains more than 50% of the votes and a number of preferences equal to at least a quarter of registered voters in their constituency. There are 76 candidates who were elected in yesterday’s consultations. Of the 577 seats in the Assemblée Nationale, the Rassemblement National and its allies certainly have 39 deputies, the left-wing bloc Nouveau Front Populaire has 32 and the presidential coalition Ensemble pour la République has two.

In cases where no candidate obtains election in the first round, the second round provides that the first two candidates automatically remain in the running, while the third (or even the fourth) can compete if they have obtained at least 12.5% ​​of the votes of registered voters in the first round. Whoever gets the most votes wins in the second round.