The right and the center retain the majority, the RN returns: the main lessons of the Senate elections

The result was known in advance: the Republicans and Hervé Marcel’s UDI party retained their senatorial majority after the renewal of 170 of the 348 seats in the Luxembourg Palace. On the evening of this Sunday, September 24, the president of the LR group, Bruno Retaillo, welcomed the “consolidated senatorial majority” with the UDI group of Hervé Marcel and the victory of the “Republicans” group, which “remains in many ways the first group in the Senate.” While the right had 145 seats before the election, on Sunday night they expected only 143 or 144 to remain.

If there were any defeats in Maine-et-Loire, for example in Seine-et-Marne (in favor of the RN) or even in Paris, where Senator Pierre Charon was beaten (dissident list), the LR list was a great success. scored points in the capital, and the Republicans gained two seats in the Eastern Pyrenees. Enough to further console Gérard Larcher, re-elected on Sunday evening in Yvelines, whose re-election to a new term as President of the Senate on October 2 is not in much doubt. Hervé Marcel, who was largely re-elected and won two seats in the Haute-Seine, also sees his group of around sixty senators strengthening their presence.

Left: Yannick Jadot and Yann Brossa become senators.

On the left, the PS (62 seats before final results) retains the second group in the Senate. “Symbolically, this is important,” welcomes Socialist leader and Northern candidate Patrick Kanner, pleased to have signed a “win-win agreement” with communists and environmentalists in some fifteen departments. Like in Paris, where the leftist list won eight seats.

Thus, former environmentalist presidential candidate Yannick Jadot or Anne Hidalgo’s communist deputy Jan Brossat entered the Senate. François Hollande’s former minister Laurence Rossignol managed to be elected despite changing departments – from Oise to Val-de-Marne.

Environmentalist senator for the French people abroad Mathilde Olivier becomes the youngest member of the House of Representatives after her election on Sunday at the age of 29. Another lesson: Insumi, lacking local elected officials and excluded from the agreement between socialists, environmentalists and communists, loses the election even if they win the Reunion seat.

The defeat of the Renaissance, the defeat of Secretary of State Sonia Backes

As for the Renaissance Party, it is paying the price for its lack of territorial presence and poor results in the last municipal elections. With a symbolic defeat – that of the Secretary of State for Citizenship Sonia Backes, the only member of the government running nationally, who was defeated in the second round in New Caledonia by separatist Robert Xoui. The unexpectedness of the elections.

Will she keep her place in government? According to our information, Sonia Backes boarded a plane to go to Paris, where her future is not yet determined. Another failure is in Paris, where the presidential majority disappears after the defeat of Senator Julien Bargeton. Edouard Philippe’s Horizons party is feeling better after its municipal victories in Reims or Angers, synonymous with the seats on Sunday night.

Three seats at the National Rally

This Sunday, the RN party was especially happy to return to the upper house. Jordan Bardella’s party no longer had a senator after Stéphane Ravier’s defection to Reconquête, the party of Éric Zemmour. The RN now has three seats in its ranks after the election of Christopher Szczurek in Pas-de-Calais, Joshua Hochard in the North and Aymeric Durox in Seine-et-Marne.

However, PH elected officials will not be able to form a group – 10 elected officials are required – which will limit their influence in the hemicycle. Reconquista Senator Sebastian Meran was defeated.