Fabrice Barusseau anxiously awaited the results of the French legislative election in the picturesque district of Charente-Maritime. The historically centrist area seemed to be leaning towards the far-right candidate after the first round of voting on June 30, with Marine Le Pen’s representative securing over 40% of the votes compared to Barusseau’s 28%.
As the final ballots trickled in from the nearby suburb, tension mounted. Mayor Françoise Mesnard described the atmosphere as “extremely tense” on the evening of the second-round voting on July 7. However, a surprising turn of events unfolded as a “Republican Surge” swept through the district, prompting a wave of voters to rally against the far-right and uphold the values they believed were under threat. This surge propelled Barusseau to victory in one of the closest contests in the country.
The unexpected outcome in the Third District of Charente-Maritime mirrored the nationwide trend that saw voters mobilizing to prevent the far-right from gaining ground. The community of Saintes, like many others, grappled with the decision of whom to support in the legislative elections.
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 | Fabrice Barusseau, center, Mayor of Villars-les-Bois and elected candidate for the left-wing New Popular Front, in his office in Villars-les-Bois. |
| Many people in Saintes said they had trouble deciding whom to vote for in legislative contests. |
