With so much positive political developments recently in the other Celtic countries disappointing results are predicted in Breizh/Brittany, following the first round of the French States legislative elections last weekend (10 th June).
It is predicted that Sarkozy's Unión pour un Mouvement Populairi ( UMP) right wing party could take a vast majority of the 577 seat Paris Assembly, even though the party has ruled for the last five years and was previously deeply unpopular. The results would give Sarkozy and his party clear headway to bring in a series of expected pro France legislation from the ex-lawyer.
L'Union démocratique bretonne/The Breton Democratic Union, one of the Breton nationalist parties in Breizh, are urging their voters to vote left in the second round of the legislative elections on the 17 th June, away from the UMP, the ultra-liberal right-hand side and Jacobites. Their message is "La Bretagne au cœur et le cœur à gauche" (Brittany in the heart and the heart is on the left).
Parti Breton, recognising that the legislative elections are difficult to win for the smaller parties, is now focusing their attention on the local and regional elections in March 2008. Their primary aim they say for the legislative elections was to make voters aware of their presence and to this end they reached almost 400 000 voters. This was the first time Parti Breton has stood candidates at this level.
The turnout of 61% was one of the lowest of any first round election for the legislatives and many of Sarkozy's MP's will have to face a run off in the second round. Hopefully, if enough people think that Sarkozy is expected to gain a clear victory, many of his supporters will fail to cast a vote, giving the nationalist left more of a chance.
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
13/06/07
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