Constituencies for French residents overseas
Encyclopedia
The constituencies for French residents overseas are eleven French constituencies
, each electing one representative to the National Assembly.
They were created by the 2010 redistricting of French legislative constituencies
, the aim of which was to enable French citizens overseas (Français établis hors de France) to be represented as such, rather than vote in a constituency on French territory, as was the case previously. Their creation does not increase the overall number of seats in the Assembly, which remains stable at 577, since it is compensated for by a redrawing of boundaries which reduces the number of seats in France itself to 566. These measures will be implemented for the June 2012 legislative election
. (There are already Senators representing overseas citizens, since 1982, but, like all French Senators, they are elected indirectly, by the Assembly of French Citizens Abroad
.)
The creation of these constituencies created some controversy, when Le Monde
estimated that they would be far more favourable to the main centre-right party, the Union for a Popular Movement
, then in power, than to the main centre-left party, the Socialist Party
. The newspaper pointed out that, in nine of these constituencies, a majority of voters appeared to favour the right, based on the figures from the 2007 French presidential election. The constituency of Central and Eastern Europe and that of North-West Africa were the only ones to appear left-leaning. While Le Monde provided the figures without comment, left-wing politicians such as Socialist MP Jean-Jacques Urvoas
suggested that the government was attempting to provide itself with extra seats, and Communist
MP Jean-Paul Lecoq
suggested overseas citizens should continue to vote solely in French constituencies.
In all, the Americas
are divided into two constituencies, North and South (1 & 2); Europe into six (3 to 8), with the eighth constituency also incorporating Israel
; and Africa
into two (9 & 10), with the tenth constituency also incorporating the Arabian peninsula
as well as Iraq
, Syria
and Lebanon
. The eleventh constituency, the largest, includes every other country in Asia
, as well as the entirety of Oceania
, along with Belarus
, Moldova
and Ukraine
. Overseas departments and territories of France
are not included, as they are de jure part of France, and already have their own electoral constituencies. In addition, North Korea
, which is not diplomatically recognised by France, is not part of any constituency. The same is true
of Bhutan
. Kosovo
, which is recognised by France
, is part of the seventh constituency. Taiwan
is incorporated into the eleventh constituency as part of China, as France recognises the One China policy. Western Sahara
is not part of any constituency - being neither recognised as part of Morocco
, nor included in the ninth constituency in its own right. Other self-proclaimed and de facto but non-recognised independent countries, such as Somaliland
or Abkhazia
, are incorporated as part of the country which claims sovereignty over them.
, a future event, will result in the election of the very first National Assembly members representing French residents overseas.
In April 2011, the ruling Union for a Popular Movement
chose several prominent members to stand as candidates overseas. Thus,
Christine Lagarde
, Minister of Finance, was chosen as UPM candidate for the First constituency; Éric Besson
, Minister of Industry, for the Fifth; and Thierry Mariani
, Secretary of State for Transport, for the Eleventh.
By contrast, the Socialist Party
has preferred to select long-term residents of their respective constituencies, who are active in their local community but generally unknown in national French politics.
Constituency (France)
France is divided into 577 constituencies for the legislative elections . Members of Parliament to the National Assembly are elected in a two round system to a term fixed to a maximum of five years...
, each electing one representative to the National Assembly.
They were created by the 2010 redistricting of French legislative constituencies
2010 Redistricting of French Legislative Constituencies
The French Constitutional Council approved the redistricting of electoral boundaries in February 2010 to reflect France's changing demographics. The population ratio between the most populated and least populated constituencies was reduced from the 1986 redistricting results of 1:3.6 to 1:2 now...
, the aim of which was to enable French citizens overseas (Français établis hors de France) to be represented as such, rather than vote in a constituency on French territory, as was the case previously. Their creation does not increase the overall number of seats in the Assembly, which remains stable at 577, since it is compensated for by a redrawing of boundaries which reduces the number of seats in France itself to 566. These measures will be implemented for the June 2012 legislative election
French legislative election, 2012
The French legislative election of 2012 will take place on 10 and 17 June to elect the 14th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, little over a month after the proposed date for the French presidential election run-off on 6 May...
. (There are already Senators representing overseas citizens, since 1982, but, like all French Senators, they are elected indirectly, by the Assembly of French Citizens Abroad
Assembly of French Citizens Abroad
The Assembly of French Citizens Abroad is the political body that represents French citizens living outside of France. The assembly advises the government on issues involving French nationals living outside France, as well as the role of France in overseas developments...
.)
The creation of these constituencies created some controversy, when Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
estimated that they would be far more favourable to the main centre-right party, the Union for a Popular Movement
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
, then in power, than to the main centre-left party, the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
. The newspaper pointed out that, in nine of these constituencies, a majority of voters appeared to favour the right, based on the figures from the 2007 French presidential election. The constituency of Central and Eastern Europe and that of North-West Africa were the only ones to appear left-leaning. While Le Monde provided the figures without comment, left-wing politicians such as Socialist MP Jean-Jacques Urvoas
Jean-Jacques Urvoas
Jean-Jacques Urvoas is a member of the National Assembly of France. He represents the Finistère department, and is a member of the Socialiste, radical, citoyen et divers gauche.-References:...
suggested that the government was attempting to provide itself with extra seats, and Communist
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
MP Jean-Paul Lecoq
Jean-Paul Lecoq
Jean-Paul Lecoq is a member of the National Assembly of France. He represents the Seine-Maritime department, and is a member of the Gauche démocrate et républicaine.-References:...
suggested overseas citizens should continue to vote solely in French constituencies.
In all, the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
are divided into two constituencies, North and South (1 & 2); Europe into six (3 to 8), with the eighth constituency also incorporating Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
; and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
into two (9 & 10), with the tenth constituency also incorporating the Arabian peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
as well as Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. The eleventh constituency, the largest, includes every other country in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, as well as the entirety of Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
, along with Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Overseas departments and territories of France
Overseas departments and territories of France
The French Overseas Departments and Territories consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in the Parliament of France , and consequently the...
are not included, as they are de jure part of France, and already have their own electoral constituencies. In addition, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, which is not diplomatically recognised by France, is not part of any constituency. The same is true
Foreign relations of Bhutan
Bhutan has diplomatic relations with 27 states, and with the European Union.In 1971, sponsored by India, Bhutan began to develop its foreign relations by joining the UN, though it has no diplomatic relations with any of the permanent members on the UN Security Council...
of Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, which is recognised by France
France–Kosovo relations
French–Kosovan relations refer to the bilateral relations between France and the Republic of Kosovo. When Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 17 February 2008, France became one of the first countries to announce officially about recognition of sovereign Kosovo. France has an embassy...
, is part of the seventh constituency. Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
is incorporated into the eleventh constituency as part of China, as France recognises the One China policy. Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
is not part of any constituency - being neither recognised as part of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, nor included in the ninth constituency in its own right. Other self-proclaimed and de facto but non-recognised independent countries, such as Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
or Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
, are incorporated as part of the country which claims sovereignty over them.
List of constituencies
| Constituency | Region | Number of countries included (as recognised by France) |
Current MP | Photo | Party | Elected in... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First First constituency for French residents overseas The First constituency for French residents overseas is one of eleven constituencies each electing one representative of French citizens overseas to the French National Assembly.... |
Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... and United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
two | to be determined | - | - | 2012 French legislative election, 2012 The French legislative election of 2012 will take place on 10 and 17 June to elect the 14th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, little over a month after the proposed date for the French presidential election run-off on 6 May... |
| Second Second constituency for French residents overseas The Second constituency for French residents overseas is one of eleven constituencies each electing one representative of French citizens overseas to the French National Assembly.-Area:... |
Central America Central America Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent... , Caribbean Caribbean The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north... and South America South America South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east... |
thirty-three | to be determined | - | - | 2012 French legislative election, 2012 The French legislative election of 2012 will take place on 10 and 17 June to elect the 14th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, little over a month after the proposed date for the French presidential election run-off on 6 May... |
| Third Third constituency for French residents overseas The Third constituency for French residents overseas is one of eleven constituencies each electing one representative of French citizens overseas to the French National Assembly.-Area:... |
Northern Europe Northern Europe Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden... |
ten | to be determined | - | - | 2012 French legislative election, 2012 The French legislative election of 2012 will take place on 10 and 17 June to elect the 14th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, little over a month after the proposed date for the French presidential election run-off on 6 May... |
| Fourth Fourth constituency for French residents overseas The Fourth constituency for French residents overseas is one of eleven constituencies each electing one representative of French citizens overseas to the French National Assembly.-Area:... |
Benelux Benelux The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany... |
three | to be determined | - | - | 2012 French legislative election, 2012 The French legislative election of 2012 will take place on 10 and 17 June to elect the 14th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, little over a month after the proposed date for the French presidential election run-off on 6 May... |
| Fifth Fifth constituency for French residents overseas The Fifth constituency for French residents overseas is one of eleven constituencies each electing one representative of French citizens overseas to the French National Assembly.-Area:... |
Andorra Andorra Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of... , Monaco Monaco Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the... , Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... and Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
four | to be determined | - | - | 2012 French legislative election, 2012 The French legislative election of 2012 will take place on 10 and 17 June to elect the 14th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, little over a month after the proposed date for the French presidential election run-off on 6 May... |
| Sixth Sixth constituency for French residents overseas The Sixth constituency for French residents overseas is one of eleven constituencies each electing one representative of French citizens overseas to the French National Assembly.-Area:... |
Liechtenstein Liechtenstein The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan... and Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
two | to be determined | - | - | 2012 French legislative election, 2012 The French legislative election of 2012 will take place on 10 and 17 June to elect the 14th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, little over a month after the proposed date for the French presidential election run-off on 6 May... |
| Seventh Seventh constituency for French residents overseas The Seventh constituency for French residents overseas is one of eleven constituencies each electing one representative of French citizens overseas to the French National Assembly.-Area:... |
Central Central Europe Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe... and Eastern Europe Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"... |
sixteen (including Kosovo Kosovo Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia... ) |
to be determined | - | - | 2012 French legislative election, 2012 The French legislative election of 2012 will take place on 10 and 17 June to elect the 14th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, little over a month after the proposed date for the French presidential election run-off on 6 May... |
| Eighth Eighth constituency for French residents overseas The Eighth constituency for French residents overseas is one of eleven constituencies each electing one representative of French citizens overseas to the French National Assembly.-Area:... |
Southern Europe Southern Europe The term Southern Europe, at its most general definition, is used to mean "all countries in the south of Europe". However, the concept, at different times, has had different meanings, providing additional political, linguistic and cultural context to the definition in addition to the typical... and Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... |
eight | to be determined | - | - | 2012 French legislative election, 2012 The French legislative election of 2012 will take place on 10 and 17 June to elect the 14th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, little over a month after the proposed date for the French presidential election run-off on 6 May... |
| Ninth Ninth constituency for French residents overseas The Ninth constituency for French residents overseas is one of eleven constituencies each electing one representative of French citizens overseas to the French National Assembly.-Area:... |
North-west Africa | sixteen | to be determined | - | - | 2012 French legislative election, 2012 The French legislative election of 2012 will take place on 10 and 17 June to elect the 14th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, little over a month after the proposed date for the French presidential election run-off on 6 May... |
| Tenth Tenth constituency for French residents overseas The Tenth constituency for French residents overseas is one of eleven constituencies each electing one representative of French citizens overseas to the French National Assembly.-Area:... |
Central Central Africa Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda.... , Eastern and Southern Africa Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN... , much of the Middle East Middle East The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East... |
forty-eight | to be determined | - | - | 2012 French legislative election, 2012 The French legislative election of 2012 will take place on 10 and 17 June to elect the 14th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, little over a month after the proposed date for the French presidential election run-off on 6 May... |
| Eleventh Eleventh constituency for French residents overseas The Eleventh constituency for French residents overseas is one of eleven constituencies each electing one representative of French citizens overseas to the French National Assembly.-Area:... |
Belarus Belarus Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,... , Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... , Moldova Moldova Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part... , Oceania Oceania Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago... , most of Asia Asia Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population... |
forty-nine | to be determined | - | - | 2012 French legislative election, 2012 The French legislative election of 2012 will take place on 10 and 17 June to elect the 14th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, little over a month after the proposed date for the French presidential election run-off on 6 May... |
2012
The 2012 legislative electionFrench legislative election, 2012
The French legislative election of 2012 will take place on 10 and 17 June to elect the 14th National Assembly of the Fifth Republic, little over a month after the proposed date for the French presidential election run-off on 6 May...
, a future event, will result in the election of the very first National Assembly members representing French residents overseas.
In April 2011, the ruling Union for a Popular Movement
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
chose several prominent members to stand as candidates overseas. Thus,
Christine Lagarde
Christine Lagarde
Christine Madeleine Odette Lagarde is a French lawyer and the managing director of the International Monetary Fund since July 5, 2011...
, Minister of Finance, was chosen as UPM candidate for the First constituency; Éric Besson
Éric Besson
Éric Besson is a French politician and Minister of Industry, Energy and the Digital economy under the Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry, Christine Lagarde...
, Minister of Industry, for the Fifth; and Thierry Mariani
Thierry Mariani
Thierry Mariani is a French politician, Secretary of State for Transport for the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable development, Transport and Housing Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet in the François Fillon III government, and a member of the Union for a Popular Movement.-Biography:Thierry Mariani was...
, Secretary of State for Transport, for the Eleventh.
By contrast, the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
has preferred to select long-term residents of their respective constituencies, who are active in their local community but generally unknown in national French politics.
External link
- Official map of the eleven constituencies (French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs)