1906 French legislative election

Legislative elections were held in France on 6 and 20 May 1906. The elections produced an increased majority for the governing coalition between the Radicals (PRRRS) and the left Republicans (ARD), which had held power under the premierships of Maurice Rouvier and Ferdinand Sarrien since January 1905.

1906 French legislative election

← 1902 6 and 20 May 1906 1910 →

All 585 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
293 seats needed for a majority
 
Leader Ferdinand Sarrien Jacques Piou Auguste Isaac
Alliance Left Bloc Conservatives Progressives[a]
Seats won 357 108 66
Seat change Increase 19 Decrease 16 Decrease 61
Popular vote 4,115,530 2,571,765 1,238,048
Percentage 46.70% 29.18% 14.05%

Prime Minister before election

Ferdinand Sarrien
Radical-Socialist Party

Elected Prime Minister

Ferdinand Sarrien
Radical-Socialist Party

Sarrien resigned on 20 October for reasons of health. Georges Clemenceau, also a Radical, replaced him, and remained premier until July 1909, after which he went on to become one of the longest-serving French Prime Ministers. The Bloc des gauches formally dissolved with Clemenceau's coming to power.

Electoral system

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By the law of 13 February 1889 [fr], French legislative elections would take place utilising a first past the post system to elect one deputy in each constituency to the Chamber of Deputies, with some arrondissements being divided into multiple constituencies, though most containing only one.[1]

Results

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PartyVotes%Seats
Conservatives (incl. ALP)2,571,76529.1878
Nationalist Party30
Radical-Socialist Party2,514,50828.53132
Progressives1,238,04814.0566
French Section of the Workers' International877,2219.9554
Democratic Republican Alliance703,9127.9990
Independent Radicals692,0297.85115
Independent Socialists205,0812.3320
Others9,9240.110
Total8,812,488100.00585
Registered voters/turnout11,341,062
Source: Rois et Presidents, France-Politique

Notes

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  1. ^ By 1906, the Progressive Republicans and conservative Moderate Republicans had reconciled into a single political party, called the Republican Federation, though candidates elected from the party sat in the Chamber of Deputies as Progressive Republicans until 1914.

References

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