French regional elections, 2021

French regional elections, 2021
Election name	French regional elections, 2021
Country	France
Type	parliamentary
Previous election	2015 French regional elections
Previous year	2015
Next election	2028 French regional elections
Next year	2028
Seats for election	Regional councils of France
Election date	20 and 27 June 2021

French regional elections, 2021 The 2021 regional elections in France were held on 20 and 27 June 2021 for the regional councils of mainland and overseas France, occurring during the presidency of Emmanuel Macron and against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic in France and debates over decentralization, public services, and security. Major national parties including La République En Marche!, Les Républicains, Parti socialiste, Rassemblement National, Europe Ecology – The Greens and smaller formations such as La France Insoumise and regionalist lists contested control of 18 metropolitan regions and 5 overseas regions amid shifting alliances stemming from the aftermath of the 2017 French legislative election and the lead-up to the 2022 French presidential election.

Background

By 2021 regional politics had been shaped by reforms initiated under François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy and by the territorial reorganization enacted through the 2014 French territorial reform that produced larger regions such as Hauts-de-France and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, influencing party strategies ahead of the 2021 vote. The electoral calendar followed precedents set by the 2015 French regional elections and interacted with national controversies involving figures like Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Marine Le Pen, Valérie Pécresse, and Xavier Bertrand, while policy debates referenced institutions such as the Conseil d'État and laws debated in the Assemblée nationale and the Sénat (France). The pandemic response by the Government of France and measures announced by the Ministry of Solidarity and Health affected campaign logistics and turnout considerations that echoed inquiries by organizations like Organisation mondiale de la santé observers and responses from regional executives such as Île-de-France president Valérie Pécresse.

Electoral system

Regional councillors were elected using the two-round proportional list system with a majority bonus defined by statutes from the Law on the Election of Regional Councillors and precedents interpreted by the Constitutional Council of France, featuring thresholds and majority bonuses similar to the system used in prior contests like the 2004 French regional elections. Lists needed to obtain 10% of votes to advance to the second round, with the possibility of merging lists down to 5% as regulated by provisions debated in the Conseil constitutionnel and applied in regions such as Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Occitanie. Allocation of seats on regional councils followed rules akin to those administered by the Ministry of the Interior (France) and counted by prefectures under the oversight of local administrative bodies like the Préfecture.

Campaign and major parties

The campaign featured leaders and candidates from national parties including Les Républicains with figures like Christian Jacob and regional contenders such as Valérie Pécresse; the Rassemblement National led by Marine Le Pen and regional spokespeople like Jordan Bardella; the Parti socialiste (France) with leaders such as Olivier Faure and regional veterans like Carole Delga; and the emergent lists of La République En Marche! associated with Emmanuel Macron's presidential majority. Green platforms by Europe Ecology – The Greens and left alliances involving La France Insoumise and Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste activists emphasized environmental policy in regions like Bretagne and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, while debates over security saw interventions by figures tied to Les Républicains and the Rassemblement National. Campaign events took place in venues including city halls in Lyon, Marseille, and Bordeaux, and were covered by media outlets such as France Télévisions, TF1, and Le Monde.

Opinion polling

Opinion polling ahead of the vote was conducted by institutes like IFOP, Ifop-Fiducial, Ipsos, Harris Interactive, and OpinionWay and published in outlets including Le Figaro, Libération, and Les Échos, projecting competitive three-way races in regions such as Hauts-de-France, Grand Est, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Polls tracked shifting support for provincial incumbents like Jean Rottner and challengers such as Renaud Muselier and showed volatility linked to national trends from the 2019 European Parliament election in France and the 2017 French presidential election. Survey methodologies referenced sampling standards used by the Commission nationale des sondages, and late-campaign surveys highlighted strategic withdrawals and mergers comparable to maneuvers seen in the 2010 French regional elections.

Results

The 2021 contests resulted in incumbents retaining control in several regions, with notable victories and defeats among leaders including Laurent Wauquiez in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Valérie Pécresse in Île-de-France, while the Rassemblement National failed to secure control of additional regions despite strong showings in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Hauts-de-France. The overall outcome reflected dynamics from the 2015 French regional elections and influenced party positioning ahead of the 2022 French presidential election, with seat distributions allocated according to regional council formulas and announced by the Ministry of the Interior (France). Turnout was historically low compared with previous cycles, prompting analysis from research centers like Sciences Po and commentary from commentators at France Culture and RTL.

Aftermath and government formation

Post-election negotiations saw regional executives form administrations through coalitions and appointments involving local officials such as mayors from Paris, Lille, and Nice and regional council vice-presidents drawn from party lists including Parti socialiste (France), Les Républicains, and Europe Ecology – The Greens. The results affected national strategies of leaders like Marine Le Pen, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and Emmanuel Macron and provoked responses in parliamentary circles of the Assemblée nationale and strategic recalibrations by party apparatuses in the run-up to the 2022 French legislative election. Judicial reviews and administrative confirmations by prefects and the Conseil d'État finalized many regional compositions and shaped policy priorities for incoming regional administrations in areas such as transport networks overseen by agencies like Nouvelle-Aquitaine authorities.

Category:Regional elections in France