1986 French legislative election

Legislative elections were held in France on 16 March 1986 to elect the eighth National Assembly of the Fifth Republic. Contrary to other legislative elections of the Fifth Republic, the electoral system used was that of party-list proportional representation.[1]

1986 French legislative election

← 1981 16 March 1986 1988 →

All 573 seats to the French National Assembly
287 seats needed for a majority
Turnout78.12%
  Majority party Minority party
 
Jacques Chirac mid-eighties.jpg
28.08.1984. L. Fabius. (1984) - 53Fi3647 (cropped).jpg
Leader Jacques Chirac Laurent Fabius
Party UOR PS
Leader's seat Corrèze Seine-Maritime
Last election 146 seats 269 seats
Seats won 277 207
Seat change Increase 131 Decrease 62
Popular vote 11,492,450 8,705,163
Percentage 40.97% 31.04%

  Third party Fourth party
 
Georges Marchais (cropped) 2.JPG
200109 Jean-Marie Le Pen 191.jpg
Leader Georges Marchais Jean-Marie Le Pen
Party PCF FN
Leader's seat Val-de-Marne Paris
Last election 44 seats 0 seats
Seats won 35 35
Seat change Decrease 9 Increase 35
Popular vote 2,740,972 2,705,336
Percentage 9.77% 9.65%


Prime Minister before election

Laurent Fabius
PS

Elected Prime Minister

Jacques Chirac
RPR

Since the 1981 election of François Mitterrand, the Presidential Majority was divided. In March 1983 Prime Minister Pierre Mauroy renounced the left's radical Common Programme which had been agreed in the 1970s. Wages and prices were frozen. This change of economic policy was justified by the will to stay in the European Monetary System. A year later, the Communist ministers refused to remain in Laurent Fabius' cabinet.[2]

In opposition, the two main right-wing parties tried to forget their past quarrels. They were able to win the mid-term elections (1982 departmental elections, 1983 municipal elections, 1984 European Parliament election) and succeeded in forcing the government to abandon its policy of limiting the financing of private schools in 1984. The Rally for the Republic (RPR), led by Jacques Chirac, abandoned the traditional dirigiste and Eurosceptic Gaullist doctrines about the economy and European integration. It was then able to sign an electoral platform with the Union for French Democracy (UDF). It proposed notably to sell the companies nationalized by President Mitterrand and Pierre Mauroy.[2]

However, France had also witnessed the electoral rise of the National Front (FN). Its leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, made nationalist and xenophobic remarks. He appealed to part of the conservative electorate, notably some RPR voters. The right-wing opposition was divided on the question of an alliance with the FN. In 1985, President Mitterrand's decision to re-establish party-list proportional representation at the legislative election caused political outrage. The RPR/UDF opposition accused him of wanting to strengthen the FN in order to weaken the Republican Right, which was favourite to win according to the polls. Proportional representation was the only electoral system which was considered likely to allow the election of FN deputies.

While opinion polls indicated a win by the RPR/UDF coalition, the former UDF Prime minister Raymond Barre argued that the next parliamentary majority should refuse to govern if President Mitterrand did not resign. Advised by Edouard Balladur, Jacques Chirac noted, however, that impeachment did not exist in the French Constitution. Instead, the next majority would "cohabit" with Mitterrand. The right-wing cabinet would enforce its domestic policy programme and Mitterrand would keep control of foreign and military affairs.[2]

Eventually the RPR/UDF coalition obtained only a two-seat majority. Consequently, for the first time of the history of the Fifth Republic, the parliamentary majority was opposed to the President. Nevertheless, the Socialist Party held more seats than the polls had indicated. The FN was able to form a parliamentary group with its 35 elected members. The decline of the French Communist Party continued. Mitterrand nominated Chirac as Prime Minister. The first "cohabitation" of the Fifth Republic started. The new cabinet abolished proportional representation for the next legislative elections. The "cohabitation" ended with the 1988 legislative election.[2]

Results

edit
 
Party or allianceVotes%Seats
Union of the
Opposition for
Renewal
RPRUDF joint list6,017,20721.45147
Rally for the Republic3,145,17111.2177
Union for French Democracy2,330,0728.3153
Total11,492,45040.97277
Socialist Party8,705,16331.04207
French Communist Party2,740,9729.7735
National Front2,705,3369.6535
Miscellaneous right1,096,5113.9114
Far-left427,7531.530
Ecologists340,1381.210
Miscellaneous left290,0591.035
Movement of Left Radicals107,7540.382
Far-right57,3340.200
Union of the Left56,0440.202
Regionalists28,0450.100
Total28,047,559100.00577
Valid votes28,047,55995.63
Invalid/blank votes1,280,5494.37
Total votes29,328,108100.00
Registered voters/turnout37,541,12478.12
Source: IPU

Parliamentary groups in the National Assembly

edit
PartySeats
Socialist Group212
RPR Group155
UDF Group131
Communist Group35
FN Group35
Non-Inscrits9
Total577
Source: IPU

References

edit
  1. ^ Northcutt, Wayne (28 June 2008). "The 1986 French Legislative Elections: Who Really Won?1". Australian Journal of Politics & History. 33 (2): 90–99. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8497.1987.tb01219.x.
  2. ^ a b c d "Thirty years on, Mitterrand mania grips France". France 24. 9 May 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2022.