Fourth district of the Moselle

Geographical and demographic description

The 4th district of the Moselle, centered around the town of Sarrebourg, is vastest of the department. It remains marked by its linguistic division between historically French-speaking cantons and dialectophones. This linguistic difference often was regarded as a determining factor of the very cleaved electoral attitudes district.

Four cantons are mainly dialectophones, dialect Germanic rather near to the Alsatian one:

Six cantons, the least populated, are mainly French-speaking:

Political description

The vastest district and yet the least populated of the Moselle, the district of Sarrebourg remains rather largely rural. Linguistic antagonism between dialectophones-German-speaking cantons and French-speaking cantons a long time represented here the determining factor of elections of the deputies. At the time of the elections of Landtag of Alsace-Lorraine of 1911 one found already this separation, the French-speaking cantons choosing an elected official of the " Lorrain" block; (francophile right-hand side), whereas the German-speaking cantons decided for the candidate of Zentrum (Catholic Center). The elections of 1919 to 1939 did not attenuate this division. On the contrary, the emergence of a movement catholic separatist native of the Moselle region, extremely in Fénétrange and Sarreguemines, opposed to the Lorraine line domination cleaved a little more the district. Finally the elections of 1946 to 1958 perpetuated the vote for a moderate line of the French-speaking cantons - which then chose list CNIP of Raymond Mondon - while at the same time the German-speaking cantons continued to decide for the democracy-Christian woman, as a voter for list MRP of Robert Schuman.

Since 1958 the recent evolutions attenuated certainly this division, but this one remains all the same still very prégnante. Largely directed on the right since 1958, the duels thus a long time continued to oppose the line gaullist, heiress of the Lorraine line movements, with the democracy-Christian woman. From 1958 to 1968 the district knew of this fact a certain instability, alternating between the MRP and the UNR with the legislative elections. The notable buildings remained however to a large extent MRP or CNIP. Following the impressive score carried out by the de Gaulle general in 1965 (86% with the 2nd Turn its best national score) the election of a candidate MRP in 1967 appeared with many observers like an incomprehensible paradox. The gaullists thus chose " parachuter" an influential personality of the government, the Minister for defense then Prime Minister Pierre Messmer. This one dominated the district very largely of 1968 to 1988, being able to federate the French-speaking and German-speaking cantons over its name, being re-elected with the 1st turn with each election of 1968 to 1988. The candidates Christian-Democrats carried out weak scores then, without doubts weakened on their traditional bases by the reflex legitimist of part of the voters of the district.

Taking into consideration score " africains" realized hitherto by Pierre Messmer in the district, the elections of 1988 were felt by the majority of the observers like a " tremor of terre" drawing even the attention of the national mediums to the area of Sarrebourg. Pierre Messmer was indeed beaten of a short head (50,4%) by a candidate Christian-Democrat, general adviser of Sarrebourg, Aloyse Wahrhouver dissenting of the CDS, which was declared near to Michel Rocard and Pierre Méhaignerie. The wear of the capacity, as well as a bad local campaign explains the failure of Messmer, which had in addition extremely to face a very locally established candidate. With this occasion linguistic cleavage reappeared again, the German-speaking cantons largely choosing Wahrhouver whereas the French-speaking cantons voted Messmer again. The elections of 1993,1997 and 2002 renewed the confrontation between the line gaullist and the center outgoing deputy, near to the left. This confrontation doubled of a personal competition between the mayor of Sarrebourg, successor and ex " dauphin" of Messmer, Alain Marty and the general adviser of Sarrebourg and applicant unhappy to the town hall, Aloyse Wahrhouver. Wahrhouver was easily re-elected into triangular in 1993 and 1997, with the support of the left for the second round. With his third tentaive, in 2002, Alain Marty asserted itself rather clearly with more than 52% against him.

The district thus remains largely sure with the right-hand side and the center-right, established very well here in the whole of the cantons. The official candidates of the PS never carried out important scores and were never present at the second round, they supported Wahrhouver into 1993,1997 and 2002 there. One can not easily classified the electorate of this last on the left, if one in addition compares the national votes of the district. In addition, linguistic division always imposes a division between right-hand side " patriote" and democracy-Christian woman. Except for the canton of Sarrebourg the whole of the cantons dialectophones are held by Christian-Democrats; contrary to the close relations of RPR hold the French-speaking cantons. One in addition notes generalized an enough push of the FN in the district, particularly in the canton of Fénétrange. J.M Le Pen had caused a very strong surprise by preceding J. Chirac in Sarrebourg in 1988. It arrived at the head of the district in 1995 and 2002.

At the time of the last presidential election, the district largely chose the candidatures of right-hand side. In 1988 she voted for J. Chirac with the second turn (53,4%). In 1995 it at the head placed J.M Le Pen (26%) in front of E. Balladur, supported by P. Messmer, (24,6%), J. Chirac (18,5%) and L. Jospin (14%). She voted with more than 60% for J. Chirac with the second turn. In 2002 J.M Le Pen renewed her performance of 1995 (26%), in front of J. Chirac (22,5%) and L. Jospin (9,7%).

The expiries presidential and legislative of 2007 appreciably reinforced the anchoring on the right of the district, by granting a strong score to NR. Sarkozy at the time of presidential, then by confirming the outgoing deputy UMP A. Marty as of the first turn of the legislative elections. The first turn of the presidential election illustrated this clear domination of the right-hand side and the center-right. NR. Sarkozy arrived at the head with 33,8% of the voices, exceeding of more than 10 points the score of J. Chirac in 2002, and carrying out a performance of a great geographical homogeneity. Its results varied indeed from 32,8% with Lorquin with 35,2% in Sarrebourg, as well the cantons dialectophones as the French-speaking cantons had clearly decided for him. F. Bayrou was placed in second position with 19,7% of the voices, progressing clearly compared to its result of 2002. It confirmed the good establishment of the Christian Democrat in the district, its scores going of 17,3% with Réchicourt-the-Castle with 21,9% with Phalsbourg, carrying out better performances in the cantons dialectophones. J-M Le Pen, which had arrived at the head in 1995 and 2002, did not lose more than 10 points compared to the result Pen+Mégret of 2002, not obtaining any more but 17,5%. Its results strongly varied, going from 13,3% to Vic-on-Pail with 20% with Albestroff, and not drawing a precise geography. Lastly, S. Royal arrived in fourth position, with 15,4%, it slightly improved the result of L. Jospin in 1995. The candidate PS carried out better performances in the French-speaking cantons that in the part dialectophone, her results varying of 12,9% with Fénétrange with 18,8% with Castle-Saline. The second turn was to amplify the advance of NR. Sarkozy, allowing him to carry out his best native of the Moselle region result here, with nearly 65% of the voices. He exceeded 60% in the whole of the cantons of the district, however carrying out better performances in the cantons dialectophones, where he exceeded 65% easily, that in the French-speaking cantons, where he obtained on average 62-63% of the voices, profiting from a very good carryforward from the UDF voices and FN. The advance of the UMP candidate was very clear in the whole of the district, and the points of establishment of S. Royal remained very limited, even non-existent in certain parts of the district. The candidate PS moved back appreciably compared to L. Jospin in 1995.

The legislative elections of June were to confirm this broad advance of the right-hand side in the district, by allowing A. Marty to be re-elected with the first turn with 56,7% of the voices, while at the same time the majority of the observers agreed to consider a second turn. The mayor of Sarrebourg exceeded the absolute majority in the whole of the cantons, carrying out homogeneous scores going from 54,2% to Castle-Saline to 60% with Vic-on-Pail, his advance being as clear in the cantons dialectophones as in the French-speaking cantons. He undoubtedly profited from the withdrawal of A. Wahrhouver and a local establishment stronger than in 2002. In fact, it found a score close to those carried out by P. Messmer in the years 1980. Vis-a-vis the outgoing deputy, it is the candidate PS, O. Trumpet, which arrived second, with 12,8% of the voices, a score in progression. The performances of the candidate PS strongly varied, it did not exceed 10% with Fénétrange and Phalsbourg, 11% in the other cantons dialectophones. Contrary, its performances were better in the French-speaking cantons, going up to 17,5% with Castle-Saline. The loser of these elections remained however the mayor of Phalsbourg, D. Kocher (Modem), which carried out only 10,1% of the voices. Its results varying very strongly, of 7,3% with Dieuze with 16% with Phalsbourg. All in all, it did not exceed 10% in the French-speaking cantons, but arrived second in the dialectophone part.

With leaving the consultations of the year 2007, the anchoring on the right of the district appears reinforced, NR. Sarkzoy having carried out the best performance of a right-wing candidate since V. Giscard d'Estaing in 1981. The electoral geography appears however more homogeneous, affirming a clear domination of the right-hand side in the whole of the cantons. The dialectophone part remains more strongly anchored in addition on the right, this domination exceeding 66%, and definitely more unfavourable with the PS, its candidate arriving only third at legislative after the fourth place obtained by S. Royal on April 22nd. The return to an high level of the center-right, through the second place of F. Bayrou on April 22nd, especially appeared in the dialectophone part, finding a traditional electorate here, where it exceeded 20%. However a broad part of the UDF electorate did not follow here the position of F. Bayrou, referring largely on NR. Sarkozy to the second turn, being registered thus clearly with the center-right, which was to confirm the weak performance of the Modem candidate to the legislative ones. The extreme line, which had represented here more than 25% of the voices, did not fall considerably and homogeneously in the district, not carrying out any more but 6% of the voices at the time of the legislative ones, a broad part of this electorate being carried towards A. Marty and the abstention. Lastly, the left remains very weak here, S. Royal not having found the score of L. Jospin in 1995, it does not have true fulcrums, it was majority only in 4 communes on May 6th. The performance of the candidate PS on June 10th confirmed this weakness, even if this one could profit part of the old votes for A. Wahrhouver.

History of the elections

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