The newly elected French National Assembly elected its parliamentary president on Friday, a process that highlighted the challenges facing the new government in securing a majority. The event led to allegations of ballot stuffing, prompting calls from French lawmakers for an investigation.
Yael Braun-Pivet, formerly head of parliament under President Emmanuel Macron’s party Renaissance, won the election for parliamentary president for a second term, narrowly defeating MP André Chassaigne of the French Communist Party by just 13 votes. The voting, conducted in accordance with Article 9 of the Rules of the National Assembly, involved three rounds with members of parliament and 17 ministers casting ballots. The first two rounds ended without an absolute majority, leading to a third, simple majority round. However, the discovery of an additional 10 envelopes in the ballot boxes cast suspicions of fraud and ballot stuffing.
In response, Braun-Pivet promptly called for a re-run, which led to two additional rounds of voting. After the additional rounds, Braun-Pivet emerged as the parliamentary president, prevailing over five other candidates. The election outcome sparked mixed reactions. Left-wing MPs opposed Braun-Pivet’s re-election, pointing to the Renaissance party’s recent setbacks in snap elections. On the other hand, President Macron congratulated Braun-Pivet, emphasizing her commitment to ensuring respect for diverse opinions.
Amidst the fraud allegations, Braun-Pivet highlighted the importance of adhering to French law, noting that only six tellers, selected at the beginning of each public session, were responsible for overseeing the counting process conducted by the Assembly staff.
The contentious election process and ensuing allegations underscore the fractious political climate currently prevailing in France. The recent re-elections following significant losses by President Macron’s Renaissance party in the European elections have resulted in three political blocs within the National Assembly, with a conspicuous lack of consensus among them.
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