1967 French legislative election

Legislative elections were held in France on 5 and 12 March 1967,[1] to elect the third National Assembly of the Fifth Republic.

1967 French legislative election
France
5 March 1967 (first round)
12 March 1967 (second round)

All 487 seats in the National Assembly
244 seats needed for a majority
Turnout80.90% (first round)
70.09% (second round)
PartyLeader % Seats +/–
UDRRI Georges Pompidou 37.75 240 -9
PCF Waldeck Rochet 22.46 73 +32
FGDS François Mitterrand 18.79 118 +11
CD Jean Lecanuet 12.79 42 -22
DIV 5.07 9 +7
PSU & far-left Édouard Depreux 2.26 5 +3
PM before PM after
Georges Pompidou
UDR
Georges Pompidou
UDR

In December 1965, Charles de Gaulle was re-elected President of France in the first Presidential election by universal suffrage. However, contrary to predictions, there had been a second ballot. This election marked a process of rebuilding by the opposition.

François Mitterrand's unexpected result, as De Gaulle's challenger in the second round of the presidential election, allowed him to establish himself as the leader of the non-Communist Left. He led the Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left (FGDS), composed of the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO, socialist party), the Radical Party and several left-wing republican clubs, which concluded an electoral agreement with the French Communist Party (PCF).

The centrist and right-wing opposition to de Gaulle gathered in the Democratic Centre led by Jean Lecanuet, the "third man" of 1965 presidential election. However some centrists refused to integrate into this group and joined the Gaullist Party, which became the Union of Democrats for the Fifth Republic (UD5)

Prime Minister Georges Pompidou led the campaign of the incumbent majority, but this was divided. In January 1966, a cabinet reshuffle took place. The Independent Republicans (RI) leader and Economy minister Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was dismissed from the cabinet. His group stayed in the Presidential Majority but with a more critical position. He summed up this attitude by a "yes, but..." to Gaullist policies.

The result of the first round was perceived as a punishment against the Presidential Majority, which obtained a surprisingly low result. The outcome of the second round depended on the centrist voters. The Gaullists warned voters against a return to the Fourth Republic, political instability and "Communist danger". The alliance between centrists and the candidates of the Presidential Majority in some constituencies explained the victory of the Right in the second round.

The Left improved in comparison with the previous legislative election and the Presidential Majority won with only a one-seat majority. The centrist deputies were not numerous enough numerous to force the Gaullists to make compromises. Georges Pompidou was confirmed as Prime Minister of a UDR-RI cabinet.

Results

PartyFirst roundSecond roundTotal
seats
Votes%Votes%
Union for the Defence of the RepublicIndependent Republicans8,453,51237.757,972,90842.61240
French Communist Party5,029,80822.463,998,79021.3773
Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left4,207,16618.794,505,32924.08118
Democratic Centre2,864,27212.791,328,7777.1042
Miscellaneous1,136,1915.07702,3523.759
Unified Socialist Party and far-left506,5922.26173,4660.935
Republican Alliance for Progress and Liberties194,7760.8728,3470.150
Total22,392,317100.0018,709,969100.00487
Valid votes22,392,31797.8418,709,96996.97
Invalid/blank votes494,8342.16584,3683.03
Total votes22,887,151100.0019,294,337100.00
Registered voters/turnout28,291,83880.9027,526,35870.09
Source: Quid, IPU

Parliamentary groups in the National Assembly

PartySeats
Union for the Defence of the Republic Group200
Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left Group121
French Communist Party Group73
Independent Republicans Group42
Progress and Modern Democracy Group41
Non-Inscrits9
Total486
Source: Quid

References

  1. "France" (PDF). Inter-Parliamentary Union.
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