First round of French regional elections in June 2021

First round of French regional elections in June 2021

In Occitania as in the rest of the French state, the Occitan Nation Party deplores the record abstention rate in the regional and departmental elections, which confirms and amplifies the one observed in the European elections of 2019 and the municipal elections of March 2020.

 In addition to the contingencies linked to the covid 19 pandemic, it reflects a serious disaffection of voters with the political offer. The rejection of party politics and its obsession with the 2022 presidential election marginalizes the other elections in an electoral system that is a republican monarchy where only the centrality of power in Paris really counts.

The Occitan Nation Party had given its support to two Occitan-centred lists:

the Bastir Occitanie list led by Jean-Luc Davezac in the Occitanie administrative region and the Oui la Provence list in the PACA region led by Hervé Guerrera. Both lists included members of the Occitan Nation Party.

The Bastir Occitanie list obtained only 0.76% or 11,509 votes.

The Oui la Provence list, on the other hand, obtained 2.18% or 25212 votes.

This was not the first time that an autonomous Occitan list was present in the regional elections. In 2004 in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, the list led by the regionalist Christian Lacour obtained 1.27% or 13,538 votes in the first round. This list supported by the Occitan Nation Party also included members of our party, including the late president Jacques Ressaire.

Thus, in the much more populated administrative region of Occitania (which includes the former Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon regions), the Bastir Occitanie list obtained a lower result. 17 years later, while one might have thought that the name of the region, Occitania, chosen after a consultation of the inhabitants, would reflect an awareness of the Occitan identity and would have an electoral impact if the Occitan activists were to stand for election, this is clearly not what happened, even if the comparison between 2004 and 2021 must be made with caution. There is reason to wonder about this electoral setback.

On the other hand, in the PACA region (Provence), it was the first time that an autonomous Occitan-centred list participated in the regional elections.

The result of OUI LA PROVENCE! is nevertheless encouraging.

The strategy of conquering local and regional power by the Occitan political movement, with or without alliances, which the Occitan Nation Party advocates, is demanding and will be implemented over time. It will eventually pay off.

For the second round, in the PACA region, the Occitan Nation Party calls on voters to block the far-right National Rally.

21 June 2021