Fifth district of the Low-Rhine

Geographical and sociological description

the fifth district of the Low-Rhine gathers six cantons:

It did not undergo significant changes since 1958 and remains rather largely rural, even if the towns of Sélestat and Obernai represents a considerable pole of attractivity for the whole of the district.

Historically entirely dialectophone, practice of the Alsatian remainder rather largely widespread in the whole of the cantons, and a majority of the inhabitants state here to include/understand and practice the dialect. The current practice of the French remained minority here until in the years 1950-1960, developing more quickly in the urban centres.

Confessionnellement the district is mainly catholic, the cantons of Obernai, Erstein, Sélestat and Benfeld being very largely catholic. On the other hand the cantons of Barr and Marckolsheim are historically " mixtes" , a certain number of communes (of which Barr and Marckolsheim) being Protestant.

Political description

District rather definitely rural, centered around the town of Sélestat but also of more restricted urban centres like Obernai or Erstein. The district of Sélestat remained during the inter-war period, the stronghold of the wing " nationaliste" catholic party, incarnated by Dr. Alfred Oberkirch, general adviser of City, which was re-elected there with the first turn in 1928 and 1932, with difficulty in 1936, undergoing a competition severe candidates separatists. A. Oberkirch remained, as from 1932, the only one representing catholic party “dissenting” APNA in Alsace, the domination of the UPR being affirmed everywhere else in the area. This attachment with the democracy-Christian woman was prolonged after 1945, the district granting of important results to the MRP, competed with in 1951 by the RPF.

The fifth district of the Low-Rhine remains since 1958, dominated by the right parties gaullist and of center-right Christian-Democrat. These two forces clashed since 1958, and until 1981, with a rather stable electoral geography throughout the beginnings of Ve republic. Since 1986, the unit of candidature seemed to have reduced this distinction inside alliance UDF-RPR. However, the elections of 2002 strongly revived this cleavage in the district.

With the image of the whole of Alsace of the years 1960, the district of Sélestat-Obernai was represented during several legislatures by a deputy gaullist. Elected official with difficulty in 1958, the mayor of Sélestat and former senator of IVe republic, Albert Ehm, was indeed to occupy the seat of deputy until 1978. If he were rather easily re-elected in 1962,1967 and 1968 against the candidates Christian-Democrats, he was put in ballot in 1973 by the candidate CDP Georges Klein, who carried it in Obernai and Marckolsheim in particular. As in the whole of Alsace the elections of 1973 marked here an important backward flow of the gaullism to the profit of their rivals of the center-right Christian-Democrat. In 1965, the district had granted a score " africain" with the de Gaulle general against F. Mitterrand (83,8%), in 1974 the candidate gaullist Chaban-Delmas carried out nothing any more but 17,4% of the voices there, marking the collapse of the vote gaullist to the profit of the center-right and Valery Giscard d'Estaing (44,7%). A. Ehm had already to yield the town hall of Sélestat to Dr. Kubler (IH) in 1965. It chooses, into 1978 not to represent itself, RPR invests to replace it the general adviser of Barr G. Sautter. This one was very however clearly outdistanced per G. Klein with the first turn, and desisted in its favor with the second round. After more than twenty years of absence, the district returned to the Christian-Democrats, G. Klein being largely elected against the socialist candidate (72%) with the second round.

Years 1980 marked one period of instability in the district, one of the chief features of which is a strong socialist push with Sélestat. In 1981 the outgoing deputy G. Gengenwin, which occupied the seat following the tragic death of Georges Klein, saw his legitimacy within the alliance UDF-RPR disputed at the same time by the gaullists and the PR. This division led to triangular tight with the second turn, opposing outgoing candidate UDF-CDS to RPR G. Sautter and the PS L. Boltz. G. Gengenwin carried it finally and was re-elected in 1986,1988,1993 and 1997, by twice against the mayor of Sélestat G. Estève (PS), like into triangular with the PS and the FN in 1997. Its choice not to represent itself in 2002 caused an intense division within the “Alsatian majority”, three important candidates claiming line and center-right emerged: the “dolphin” of outgoing deputy A. Herth (near to UDF), assistant of the mayor of Artolsheim, the general adviser of Barr A. Becker (RPR) and the general adviser of Marckolsheim G. Simler (Independent). The second turn opposed A. Herth, heir to the tradition Christian-Democrat, with A. Becker, heir to the right-hand side gaullist. Having obtained the nomination of UMP, A. Herth was elected with more than 56%, A. Becker carrying it only in the traditional strongholds of the gaullism of Barr and Sélestat.

Broadly the district remains largely sure with the right-hand side. The whole of the cantons is represented by general advisers close to the “Alsatian majority” (UMP-UDF-DVD). The line is particularly strong in the protesting canton of Barr, stronghold traditionally rather gaullist, as well as the cantons of Obernai and Marckolsheim. The canton of Sélestat remains its weakest point, even if it knew to reconquer the town hall of the sub-prefecture. It in addition carries out very good scores with Benfeld and Erstein. From the years 1980 the left however knew to conquer important town halls in the district, it in particular gained Sélestat with Gilbert Estève and Erstein with Théo Schnée. As from its election in 1989, the very moderate personality of G. Estève had known to seem a possible rival for G. Gengenwin, succeeding in putting it in ballot in 1993. On the other hand, the failure of its list to regional of 1992 (9%) had weakened its regional ambitions considerably. Its sudden death in 1996 moreover involved the loss of the canton in 1998, and the town of Sélestat in 2001. The left thus remains very weak in this district, where it could not be present at the second turn in 2002. Another important actor since the middle of the years 1980, the FN realizes, as in the whole of Alsace, of the important scores in this district, in particular in the cantons of Benfeld and Obernai. Broadly it is higher than its regional average here, and could take part in the second turn in 1997.Lors of the consultations regional and cantonal the FN however undergoes the competition of Alsace initially which carried out a score higher than 10% at the time of the regional elections of 2004 and well is established in Benfeld.

At the time of the elections of 1988, the area of Sélestat-Obernai had chosen J. Chirac (53,1%). In 1995 it placed J.M Le Pen arrived at the head (26,9%) preceding of a short head E. Balladur (26,4%), the two finalists J. Chirac (15,9%) and L. Jospin (14,3%) remaining far behind. With the second turn J. Chirac exceeded 60% of the votes (60,4%). In 2002 J.M Le Pen was again at the head (24,4%) in front of J. Chirac (17,9%), F. Bayrou (11,8%) and L. Jospin (9,5%).

The expiries presidential and legislative of 2007 still reinforced the anchoring on the right of the district. At the time of the presidential election of 2007 one witnessed an important return of the domination of the right-hand side and traditional center-right, this increase taking place with the detriment of the FN. NR. Sarkozy was placed indeed definitely at the head with 36,9% of the voices, doubling the score of J. Chirac in 2002, it was followed by F. Bayrou, which obtained 21,7%, improving its score of 10 points, J-M Le Pen arrived in third position with 14,8%, losing nearly 10 points compared to 2002, but preceding the socialist candidate S. Royal, who obtained only 13,8%. With the second turn NR. Sarkozy very largely carried it, carrying out a score comparable with those of V. Giscard d'Estaing in 1974 and 1981 (69,1%). It exceeded 70% in all the cantons except for Sélestat (64%) and Erstein (69%).

The legislative elections of June confirmed this attachment with the right-hand side and the center-right by allowing the broad re-election of the outgoing deputy, Antoine Herth. This last, however competed with by the mayor of Rhinau (Modem) D. Meyer, carried it with 58% with the first turn, gathering a broad part of the former voters of A. Becker, but also of old voices FN. It exceeded 60% with Barr, Marckolsheim and Obernai. The Modem candidate placed herself in second position, obtaining 12,6% of the voices but not republishing the score of F. Bayrou, part of the UDF voices having left towards the outgoing deputy. She placed herself at the head in her commune. The candidate PS, dissenting, C. Hammann regressed somewhat compared to 2002, carrying out only 10,8%. Finally the candidate FN, C. Corded present at the second turn in 1997, carried out nothing any more but 6,7%, exceeding 10% in no canton.

Within sight of these results the district of Sélestat-Obernai still amplified its positioning on the right, all at the same time through very the good score of NR. Sarkozy as well to the first as with the second turn, then by the clear confirmation of the outgoing deputy at the time of the elections of June 10th. NR. Sarkozy passed very close to the bar of the 40% with Obernai and Barr, traditional strongholds of the right-hand side in this district, then exceeded 70% as well in these two cantons as with Benfeld, all at the same time center and more marked by the extreme line, and Marckolsheim, stronghold of the Herth deputy. The good performance of F. Bayrou, rather near to her Alsatian average, shows the persistence - presents here as in the whole of the area - of a tendency Alsatian Christian-Democrat anchored to the center-right, as shows it the major carry-overs with the second turn towards NR. Sarkozy, this being particularly visible in Barr and Erstein. This center electorate in addition did not follow F. Bayrou in his line of refusal of the partnership with UMP, practiced by UDF Alsatian, as the weak score of the Modem candidate shows it to the legislative elections. The left remained very weak at the time of these elections, the score of S. Royal in Sélestat (38%) and Erstein (35%) being symbolic system of a backward flow Net compared to 1995, confirmed with the legislative ones. Finally the FN strongly dropped at the time of the presidential election, as well in its “strongholds” of Benfeld and Obernai as elsewhere, exclusively with the profit of the right-hand side.

History of the Elections

Following the tragic death of the deputy Georges Klein in 1980, his substitute Germain Gengenwin succeeded to him.

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