Fifth district of the Moselle

Geographical and demographic description

The fifth district of the Moselle is made up of the following cantons:

These three cantons constitutes a coherent cultural unit the “Bitscherland” (Country of Bitche), nearer to Alsace than of Lorraine (the inhabitants read the Lorraine Republican). The Germanic dialect of Bitcherland is dialect francic which has nothing to do with the Alsatian one which is the allémanique one.

These three cantons are very strongly polarized around the city-chief-place of Sarreguemines.

Political description

The 5th district of the Moselle a long time was regarded as an impregnable stronghold of the right-hand side gaullist then Christian-Democrat. In 1965 the de Gaulle general carried out there one of his best score nationals (86% of the voices to the 2nd Turn against F.Mitterrand). Thereafter, the district is turned over to its old tendencies of right-hand side plus Christian-Democrat. In 1973 she elected J.Seitlinger, old near to Robert Schuman and general adviser of Rohrbach Bitche already elected appointed in 1956 and 1958, against the outgoing deputy gaullist E.Hinsberger. J.Seitlinger was re-elected easily into 1978,1981 and 1986 (where it carried out the UDF list), and this in spite of its opposition to the personality of P.Messmer, deputy of the district close to Sarrebourg. Thus, in 1986 J. Seitlinger could not be appointed minister with the European businesses because of the veto emitted by P.Messmer with this choice. From 1988 however, the leadership of J. Seitlinger on the local line was disputed by a series of candidate buildings.

In 1988, he was re-elected into triangular against the mayor of Bitche J.Schaeffer (various-right-hand side) and candidate R.Rossler the left-wing. Seitlinger obtained 39% of the voices compared with 30% with each one of its two opponents. In 1993 the outgoing deputy was again put in ballotage by a candidate H.Roth various-right-hand side, over which he triumphed with difficulty (51,5% of the voices to the 2nd Turn). Marked once more by these recurring competitions on the right, the elections of 1997 caused, in this district which appeared anchored on the right, a true shock. The candidate PS G.Maurer, established well in the Canton of Bitche, carried it of very a short head (50,2%) against the new candidate H.Roth right-wing. The quarrels of succession of J.Seitlinger on the right, which was not represented, between H.Roth de Sarralbe and the mayor various-right-hand side of Sarreguemines R.Ludwig supported this election-surprise. One foot-note in addition a very strong geographical differentiation enters the " Bitscherland" who largely chooses G.Maurer, and the area of Sarreguemines which preferred H.Roth to him. In 2002 the UMP mayor of Sarreguemines C.Lett rather clearly carried it on the outgoing deputy (57%). One foot-note however that divisions of the right-hand side between candidates of the “Bitscherland” and candidate of Sarreguemines were again felt (to it various-right-hand side of Rorhbach Bitche D.Zintz obtained 19% with the first turn) and the candidate PS still carried it in the 3 cantons of the “Bitscherland” to the second turn. The UMP candidate collected to him considerable majorities in the cantons of Sarreguemines and neighborhood.

Semi-urban semi-rural district, whose polarization around Sarreguemines remains very largely imperfect, the 5th ciconscription thus is directed enough on the right. It is noted however that the PS could gain the seat in 1997 thanks to divisions of the right-hand side and with the very strong local establishment of its candidate. In addition the opposition right-hand side-left often leaves the place with a regional opposition between the candidates of the “Bitscherland” and those of Sarreguemines, that whose J. Seitlinger as G. Maurer knew to play. The FN was a success growing as well in the area of Sarreguemines as in the “Bitscherland”, J.M. Le Pen carries out important scores in the whole of the district and esta arrived at the head in 2002.

At the time of the presidential election of 1988, the district was (with surprised of much) marked for F. Mitterrand (52,4%). In 1995 it at the head placed E. Balladur (25,5%) in front of J.M. Le Pen (24,9%), J. Chirac (16%) and L. Jospin (16%). With the second tower it had chosen J. Chirac (53,9%). In 2002 it at the head placed J.M. Le Pen (26,8%) in front of J. Chirac (20,5%), L. Jospin (11,6%).

The expiries presidential and legislative of 2007 clearly affirmed the anchoring on the right of the district, accentuating the departmental result favorable to this one. The first tower of presidential indeed made it possible NR. Sarkozy at the head to be placed, obtaining 30,5% of the voices, and increasing by 10 points the result obtained by J. Chirac in 2002. F. Bayrou obtained with one 20,8% a score definitely higher than its departmental average, and approaching the close Alsatian results. It made more than to double its result of 2002, profiting from the vote of an electorate of center-right very present here. Contrary, J-M. Le Pen, who had arrived out of small fireclay cup in 2002, did not fall of almost 10 points compared to the score Mégret+ Le Pen of 2002, and not collecting any more but 18,3% of the voices. An important part of its electorate is on this occasion moved towards NR. Sarkozy, even towards F. Bayrou. Lastly, S. Royal obtained only 16,6%, a result rather close to that of L. Jospin in 1995, but which was located clearly in on this side its departmental average. The second ballot was to amplify the advance of NR. Sarkozy, which rejoined on her name a very broad part of the UDF voters and FN of the first turn, and exceeded 60% here (61,9%), at the same time carrying out the best performance of a right-wing candidate in the district since V. Giscard d'Estaing in 1974. The UMP candidate exceeded 68% with Volmunster, one of his best scores natives of the Moselle region, exceeded 62% in the whole of the rural cantons and approached the 58% with Sarreguemines. S. Royal a rather weak performance realized, in Net withdrawal of the result of L. Jospin in 1995 (46%), and was preceded in the whole of the communes of the district, very largely in the rural communes of part of Bitscherland and area of Sarreguemines Sarralbe.

In spite of this very strong score of NR. Sarkozy, the extent of the re-election of the outgoing deputy, C. Lett, has surprised more than one observer. Opposed again to the former deputy PS G. Maurer, in addition general adviser of Bitche, the mayor of Sarreguemines indeed obtained a remarkable score, being re-elected as of the first turn with 61,4% of the voices, which does of it one of the deputies best elected of France. C. Lett exceeded the bar of the 60% in the whole of the cantons, except for that of Bitche, carrying out even its best result in the middle of Bitscherland, in Volmunster, a canton which had voted for G. Maurer in 2002 with 68,9%. It obtained more than 62% with Sarreguemines, Sarralbe, Sarreguemines Campagne and Rohrbach-lès-Bitche, and realized even nearly 52% with Bitche, in the canton of its rival, G. Maurer. This one did not undergo an important erosion in addition, not obtaining any more but 18,7% compared with 27,1% in 2002. It exceeded 20% only with Bitche (29%) and underwent a Net retreat in the whole of the cantons, also in Sarreguemines (17%) and Sarralbe (15%) that in the remainder of Bitscherland (17% with Rohrbach-lès-Bitche, 13% with Volmunster). Announced revenge thus left the place to a clear re-election of outgoing, whose local establishment from now on had extended to the unit from the district, attenuating in fact the electoral differences in Bitscherland and area of Sarreguemines and Sarralbe. Candidates Modem and FN collected only weak scores, 5% both, meaning the carryforward of important part of the electorates of F. Bayrou and of J-M. Le Pen towards the outgoing deputy as of the first turn.

If the elections presidential and legislative of 2007 clearly confirmed the anchoring on the right of the district, the magnifying one even definitely as well in the result obtained by NR. Sarkozy with the second turn as by the very easy re-election of C. Lett on June 10th, the electoral geography of the district was modified precisely by this evolution. The geographical differences between Bitscherland and country of Sarreguemines have in fact definitely attenuated, as well by the presidential one as - and it is more surprising - with legislative, confirming the force of the evolution on the right of the district. The strongholds of NR. Sarkozy and C. Lett merge about: they carrying out both their best score with Volmunster (33,9% pure Sarkozy with the first turn, 68% with the second, 68% with the first turn for C. Lett) confirming the orientation on the right this canton, where V. Giscard d'Estaing carried out its best native of the Moselle region result in 1981 (52%). Elsewhere, the UMP candidate carries out close performances, exceeding 30% in the whole of the cantons to the first and 60% with the second, just as C. Lett exceeded 60% in all these cantons, except for Bitche, on June 10th. The good score of F. Bayrou in this ground marked by the Christian Democrat is illustrated, him also by a strong homogeneity, its best result being of 21,2% with Rohrbach-lès-Bitche (old canton of Jean Seitlinger) and its worse of 18,8% with Sarralbe, elsewhere the UDF candidate always ranges between 20% and 21% of the voices, as well in Bitscherland as in Sarreguemines. However, a broad part of its voters did not follow his position at the time of the second turn, and voted for NR. Sarkozy on May 6th then C. Lett on June 10th, while being registered thus clearly with the center-right. Installed since 1988 with more than 20% of the voices in this district, J-M. Le Pen there rather clearly regressed, while carrying out 18,3% more. It more strongly resists Sarralbe (21,3%) and in part of Bitscherland (19% with Volmunster and Rohrbach-lès-Bitche) that in Sarreguemines and Bitche (16%). Lastly, the left is here in clear regression, which is visible in the weak performance carried out per G. Maurer, however former deputy and town councilor, with the legislative ones: S. Royal slightly exceeded 20% with Sarreguemines, 17% with Bitche, but carried out very weak performances in the remainder of Bitscherland and with Sarralbe. By doing this, the left appeared even more definitely minority in this district, not exceeding 40% with presidential and not succeeding in putting C. Lett in ballot, revealing the elections of 1997 like a distance memory. The force of the right parties thus left clearer these elections.

History of the Elections

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