2019 European Parliament election in France

Summary:

Reports, analyses and information on the electoral campaign and the aftermath of the European Parliament election held in France on 26 May 2019.

Further information:

The electoral campaign in France was strongly featured by the debacle between President Emmanuel Macron's pro-EU La République En Marche! (LREM), and Marine Le-Pen's Eurosceptic Rassemblement National (RN), in the framework of long-standing protests across the country relating to the emergence of the Yellow Vest movement. Pre-electoral polls suggested a tight race between the two parties, which embodied two very distinct visions for the future of the European Union (EU).

At the end, LREM (22,41%) failed to defeat Le Pen's RN (23,31%). The biggest surprise of these elections was the score obtained by the green party Europe-Ecology-Les Verts (EELV), which won 12,8% of the votes and became the third largest French force in the European Parliament. Right-wing party Les Républicains (LR) only got 8,2% of the votes, compared to more than 20% in 2014. La France Insoumise (LFI) gained 6,7% of the votes.

Official

European Elections.eu: How to Vote in France https://www.european-elections.eu/how-to-vote/france

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News

France24, 20/04/2019: Le Pen's National Rally goes green in bid for European election votes https://www.france24.com/en/20190420-le-pen-national-rally-front-environment-european-elections-france

Reuters, 05/05/2019: Macron's party falls behind Le Pen's far right in EU election poll https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1SB0O2

Reuters, 07/05/2019: Macron camp seeks reset after EU campaign 'false start' https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKCN1SD1YC

EurActiv, 07/05/2019: French electorate in doubt and abundance of candidates: What could go wrong? https://www.euractiv.com/section/eu-elections-2019/news/french-electorate-in-doubt-and-abunance-of-candidates-what-could-go-wrong/

RFI, 09/05/2019: European elections: Macron’s party makes ecology a manifesto priority http://en.rfi.fr/france/20190509-european-elections-macron-s-party-makes-ecology-manifesto-priority

Politico, 09/05/2019: Macron unveils plan for Europe https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-plan-europe-tech-renaissance/

EurActiv, 17/05/2019: French minority parties cry for impartiality ahead of EU election TV debate https://www.euractiv.com/section/eu-elections-2019/news/minority-parties-scream-for-impartiality-of-french-tv-ahead-of-eu-election-debate/

Reuters, 19/05/2019: France's Le Maire says a Le Pen win in EU elections would hurt euro https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1SP0D8

EurActiv, 26/05/2019: France posts surprising results in the European elections https://www.euractiv.com/section/eu-elections-2019/news/france-has-surprising-results-in-the-european-elections/

Reuters, 26/05/2019: Exit polls show France's far-right on top in EU vote in France https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-election-france/exit-polls-show-frances-far-right-on-top-in-eu-vote-in-france-idUSKCN1SW0RC

The Local France, 27/05/2019: Le Pen narrowly tops European election polls in France in blow for Macron https://www.thelocal.fr/20190527/european-election-latest

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Commentary and Analysis

France24: 2019 European Parliament election results France https://graphics.france24.com/results-european-elections-2019/

Poll of Polls: EP 2019 in France https://pollofpolls.eu/FR/53/european-parliament-election-2019-in-france

Wikipedia: 2019 European Parliament election in France https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_European_Parliament_election_in_France

Open Europe: Blog, 17/04/2019: European Elections in France: Macron leads the polls, but Euroscepticism is rife https://openeurope.org.uk/today/blog/european-elections-in-france-macron-leads-the-polls-but-euroscepticism-is-rife/

Politico, 24/04/2019: France’s far-right boy wonder https://www.politico.eu/article/france-french-far-rights-boy-wonder-leads-european-charge-jordan-bardella-marine-le-pen-national-rally/

Clingendael: Opinions, 02/05/2019: The campaign for the European Elections in France https://www.clingendael.org/publication/campaign-european-elections-france

France24, 10/05/2019: European elections: France gets ready for key vote https://www.france24.com/en/20190510-france-focus-european-eu-elections-candidates-voters-history-fake-news-social-media

EurActiv, 11/05/2019: European elections in France, in the shadow of national politics https://www.euractiv.com/section/eu-elections-2019/opinion/european-elections-in-france-in-the-shadow-of-national-politics/

Politico, 12/05/2019: Meet Macron’s Renaissance woman https://www.politico.eu/article/nathalie-loiseau-emmanuel-macron-renaissance-woman/

France24, 27/05/2019: EU elections: What became of the Yellow Vest candidates? https://www.france24.com/en/20190527-european-union-parliament-elections-yellow-vest-lists-candidates-far-right-rn-le-pen

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ESO Records

European Parliament elections, 23-26 May 2019 https://www.europeansources.info/record/european-parliament-elections-23-26-may-2019/

Political campaign ahead of 2019 European Parliament elections https://www.europeansources.info/record/political-campaign-ahead-of-2019-european-parliament-elections/

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