Today, for the first time since 1958 (when the Fifth Republic was founded), the Senate of France has slipped from the hands of the right-leaning bloc (currently controlled by the UMP). The victors are the Parti Socialiste, the social-democratic political party, and the official opposition to President Nicholas Sarkozy (and his party, the center-right UMP). Although the exact numbers aren't down yet, it has been confirmed that they have won an outright majority!
More below the fold.
From Reuters:
Of the 170 seats up for grabs in the election, the UMP had 147 seats out of a total 343 to the Socialist Party's 115 before Sunday's vote. Final results are expected later on Sunday.
Early results from the indirect elections showed that left-wing candidates took at least 23 seats from the ruling conservative party, securing them an absolute majority.
This victory from the left was a result of dissatisfaction with the Sarkozy Administration, which has been one of the least popular of post-war France. Despite Sarkozy's slight uptick due to some foreign policy successes, domestic unrest is still high. Sarkozy will likely run for re-election in the upcoming April Presidential elections, but this sudden change of power in the Senate may indicate that the people of France are growing very sick of austerity and want more social justice. The National Assembly (still UMP-controlled) is probably afraid for their own majority in the wake of this upset of power.
The victory in the Senate does not mean much on the policy front. Most of the agenda is already completed for the year and the National Assembly has more power. However, due to the Socialists taking control of one key portion of the government, it means that Sarkozy's proposal to put austerity into the French constitution is almost certainly DOA. If Sarkozy goes down next spring and the left wins the trifecta of French government, things will change radically for the better. France will once again live up to its motto of "Liberté, égalité, fraternité".
Félicitations à la gauche!
2:26 PM PT: More:
"For the first time, the Senate will undergo a change of political power," said Jean-Pierre Bel, head of the Socialist group in the upper house. The ruling party of Mr. Sarkozy, the UMP, didn't challenge Mr. Bel's claim. "The left tide is real and stronger then I had anticipated," Senate Speaker Gérard Larcher, a UMP member, said in a speech. Government spokeswoman and Budget Minister Valérie Pécresse told RTL radio that she "regretted" a political defeat.
Although Mr. Sarkozy's ruling coalition has a majority in the lower house, the National Assembly, which has final say on new legislation, a hostile Senate, relying on filibuster tactics for example, could make it more difficult for the president to push through new policies.
In particular, Mr. Sarkozy's plan to enshrine budget discipline in France's bylaws, a constitutional change that requires support from two-thirds of all lawmakers, appears in jeopardy now that left-leaning parties that have opposed the measure control the Senate.
Mon Sep 26, 2011 at 9:58 AM PT: Here are the final numbers (the French Senate will contain 348 members when they reconvene, a number set by population growth) from the election:
The Parti Socialiste and their allies netted 25 seats, giving them control of 177 Senate seats.
The center-right UMP and their allies lost a net of 17 seats, putting them down to 172.
175 seats is needed for a majority, and the Socialists exceeded it by two.