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French Senate
Trends
- 1
French voters are heading to the polls in the 2026 Senate elections, with grand electors in around sixty departments called to cast ballots. The vote is the last nationwide election before the 2027 presidential election, giving it added political weight. French media are providing live coverage of the results and what they mean for the balance of the upper house.
- 2France holds Senate elections with 178 seats up for renewal●Les élections sénatoriales se tiennent aujourd'hui, avec 178 sièges de sénateurs sur 348 renouvelés. Les grands électeur
France is holding its senatorial elections today, with 178 of the 348 Senate seats being renewed. Voting is indirect: the grand electors, drawn from local elected officials, are choosing the new senators. The Rassemblement National is in a strong position in several areas, while the left expects little from the vote, as the chamber has long favoured conservative majorities given its electoral college.
- 3Roussel pledges restrained criticism of Mélenchon ahead of presidential election●Roussel promet de ne pas (trop) critiquer Mélenchon pour cette présidentielle: "Nous ne tomberons pas dans l'agressivité
Fabien Roussel, leader of the French Communist Party, has promised not to attack Jean-Luc Mélenchon too sharply during the presidential campaign. His campaign director, senator Ian Brossat, told La Tribune that 'we will not fall into aggressiveness', signalling an attempt to keep left-wing infighting under control. Commenters reacted with irony, suggesting the pledge may be hard to keep as the contest intensifies.