French Elections 2012 Results: Francois Hollande Leads Dominant Socialist Victory

Impact

The stage is set for the French Parliamentary elections, which take place this Sunday.  It is set to be a pivotal moment that will shape the next five years of French domestic and foreign policy. 

If, as anticipated, the Partie Socialiste gains a majority of the 577 available parliamentary seats, it will mean a term or two of socialist legislation passing easily in France, spearheaded by newly elected President, Francois Hollande.

Gulf News has reported:

“The polls showed France’s Socialists winning between 287 and 330 seats in Sunday’s run-off election — almost certainly enough to secure a majority in the 577-seat Assembly.

With polls showing the Greens, who are close allies of the Socialists and already in government, set to win up to 20 seats, Hollande is all but guaranteed to get the parliamentary backing he needs.”

However, this election is likely to be eclipsed by the Greek elections, also taking place on Sunday, which may determine the fate of that nation and its place in the euro zone. The Greek elections are also far less predictable than those in France and have been qualified as too close to call at this point.

The French elections have not been without some drama. There was a good deal of stir when Hollande’s current companion Valerie Trierweiler tweeted good luck to Socialist dissident Olivier Falorni, who is running against Hollande’s ex-partner and mother of their four children, Segolene Royal.

There is sure to be excitement for all and I will keep you posted on all the action as it unfurls!

UPDATES:

Sunday 4:19 pm:

French President Francois Hollande's Socialists won an absolute parliamentary majority on Sunday's elections. 

The result means Hollande won't need to rely on the environmentalist Greens, projected to win 20 seats, or the Communist-dominated Left Front, likely to have just 10 deputies, to pass laws. The centre-left already controls the upper house of parliament, the Senate.

The left-wing triumph gives the Socialists more power than they have ever held as Hollande pushes for new tools to stimulate growth in the sickly euro zone and a European banking union that would protect depositors and states if banks fail.

Sunday 10:48 am: 

Segolene Royale defeated in La Rochelle

Sunday 10:46am: 

France 24 poses the question: Does the legislative branch tweet too much and forget to go vote?

Sunday 10:35am: 

Voting is under way. Voter participation is reported at 21,4%

Sunday 10:14 am: 

291 seats to socialist party securing absolute majority.