France yesterday went to the polls in nationwide local elections, defying a mounting health crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak that still risked keeping many voters at home.
French President Emmanuel Macron, for whom the two-round election is a crucial midterm test, has said that the polls to choose mayors and municipal councils would go ahead to assure democratic continuity in the country.
Despite fresh restrictions announced on Saturday evening, polling stations across the country opened at 8am.
Photo: AP
Officials have said that voting would take place under the tightest sanitary conditions, despite widespread fear that polling stations are ideal germ-spreading venues and a particular risk for older people.
Macron on Thursday said that scientists had assured him that “there is nothing to prevent the French, even the most vulnerable, from going to the ballot box,” provided everyone observes basic infection-prevention rules.
Municipalities have announced various measures to try to keep voters infection-free, including regular disinfection of voting booths, ensuring a safe distance between voters waiting in line, and providing sanitizing hand gels on entry and exit.
Observers have said many were bound to shun the democratic exercise for fear of contamination with the virus, which has killed dozens and infected thousands more in France alone.
An opinion poll said 28 percent of potential voters in France were “concerned” about the risk posed by mingling at polling stations, often hosted by schools.
“It is important at this time, following the advice of scientists as we have done, to ensure the continuity of our democratic life and that of our institutions,” Macron said.
About 47.7 million people were registered to vote in about 35,000 municipalities in a country where mayors and local councilors enjoy high popularity compared with other levels of government.
The election would be a key test for Macron, whose party swept Paris in the 2017 presidential election, but has since lost popularity in part due to its leader’s perceived autocratic leadership style and lack of common touch.
The French capital would be the main battleground, with socialist Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo challenged by right-wing heavyweight Rachida Dati and Macron’s candidate Agnes Buzyn — who was parachuted in after his chosen hopeful, Benjamin Griveaux, pulled out over a sex-tape scandal.
Many in France have questioned the wisdom of holding the vote even as the country indefinitely closed all creches, schools and universities, banned gatherings of more than 100 people and urged residents to limit their movements.
However, French Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner defended his government’s decision, saying that there were about 1,000 voters to every French polling station on average.
Even if the participation rate is 60 percent — which is high — that would mean 600 people spread over 10 to 12 hours depending on the district.
The risk from voting for the elderly was no greater “than going shopping,” said Jean-Francois Delfraissy, chairman of France’s coronavirus science council.
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