1877 French legislative election

Legislative elections were held in France on 14 and 28 October 1877 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies. They were held during the Seize Mai crisis.

1877 French legislative election

14–28 October 1877
All 521 seats in the Chamber of Deputies 261 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Jules Dufaure Georges-Eugène Haussmann Albert de Broglie Party Republican Union Bonapartists Legitimists Seats won 313 104 44
Results by district (republicans in red, monarchists in blue)
Prime Minister before election Gaëtan de Rochebouët Independent Elected Prime Minister Jules Dufaure Republican Left

President Patrice de MacMahon dissolved the Chamber of Deputies elected in 1876, in the hope of a conservative and royalist victory. Although royalists lost seats, Bonapartists increased their seat total over 1876; the Republicans lost 80 seats, but retained a majority.

The elections proved a serious setback for those hoping for a restoration of the monarchy, such as MacMahon. In the Senate elections of January 1879, the monarchists also lost control of the Senate. MacMahon resigned, and the Republican Jules Grévy was elected president by the National Assembly.[1]

Along with the 1997 election, it is a rare case of an election in which the sitting President's party lost a general election which he had called.