While Jean-Luc Mélenchon was still in the lead in the first round of the presidential elections in Guyana, Martinique and Guadeloupe, it was Marine Le Pen who won straight away in the second round.
The overseas territories reject Emmanuel Macron. Marine Le Pen largely dominated her rival in the second round of Sunday’s presidential elections in Guadeloupe, Martinique and Guyana. On the spot, they won 69.90%, 60.87% and 60.70% of the votes respectively – a result that has risen sharply compared to the 2017 duel when Emmanuel Macron won in those departments.
>> Discover the complete second round results on our platform, follow the reactions and analysis live
The voting in these overseas territories was characterized by very high abstentions. In fact, more than half of those registered did not vote. Guyana set the record with an abstention of 61.11%. It is 52.82% in Guadeloupe and 54.55% in Martinique.
A reversal in just 5 years
This Sunday night’s results closely resemble a protest vote against the outgoing President. In fact, in the first round, it was Jean-Luc Mélenchon who mostly came out on top in these three areas, receiving more than 50% of the vote each time. Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen were more or less even.
In the first and second rounds, it was candidates who promised to knock over the table, thereby defeating the leader of LaREM. A real sanctions vote for him, while 2017 had been a referendum in his favour. Indeed, in Guadeloupe and Martinique he had received more than 70% of the vote against Marine Le Pen and almost 65% in Guyana.
consequence of the health crisis?
Among the ways that can explain this upheaval, we find in particular the health policy. In the overseas territories, where the vaccination rate is still much lower than in mainland France, the restrictions imposed by the government have been experienced very badly.
During site visits or media interventions, Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon had called for the measures to be lifted, while violent demonstrations during the campaign dominated the news on the ground.
During a visit where she was confronted by separatists, Marine Le Pen also pledged to work on the Chlordecone file. This pesticide, used for decades to grow bananas in the West Indies, has widely contaminated the soil and is found in the vast majority of residents’ bodies. A few days before the first round of the presidential election, the judiciary announced the end of the investigation into this file, thereby opening the door to a dismissal.
“The problems of access to water and chlordecone pollution have never been taken seriously by the government. I will be there for you,” Marine Le Pen tweeted during a site visit in late March.
A promise evidently heard by voters.