1984 European Parliament election in France

1984 European Parliament election in France

← 1979 17 June 1984 1989 →
81 seats to the European Parliament
First party Second party Third party   Leader Simone Veil Lionel Jospin Georges Marchais Party UDF RPR PS PCF Alliance ELDR, EPP, EDA (UDF) EPD (RPR) SOC COM Seats before 40 (UDF+RPR) 22 19 Seats won 41 20 10 Seat change 1 2 9 Popular vote 8,683,596 4,188,875 2,261,312 Percentage 43.03 20.76 11.21   Fourth party   Leader Jean-Marie Le Pen Party FN Alliance ER Seats won 10 Seat change 10 Popular vote 2,210,334 Percentage 10.95

In 1984 the second direct elections to the European Parliament were held in France. Four parties were able to win seats: an alliance of the centre right Union for French Democracy and the Gaullist Rally for the Republic, the Socialist Party and the French Communist Party, and the Front National. 56.7% of the French population turned out on election day.

The result was the first time the far-right Front National obtained important results – this time 10.8% and close to the declining French Communist Party. Jonah Birch argues in Jacobin that the FN's rise in popularity was caused by the Socialists abandoning their Keynesian platform the previous year and instead pursuing policies of austerity.^[1]

Results[]

Summary of the results of France's 1984 election to the European Parliament

← 1979 • 1984 • 1989 →
National party		European party	Main candidate	Votes	%	+/−	Seats	+/−
	Union for French Democracy (UDF) + Rally for the Republic (RPR)		Simone Veil	8,683,596	43.03		41
	Socialist Party (PS)		Lionel Jospin	4,188,875	20.76		20
	Communist Party (PCF)		Georges Marchais	2,261,312	11.21		10
	National Front (FN)		Jean-Marie Le Pen	2,210,334	10.95		10
	The Greens (VERTS)			680,080	3.37		0
	UCR + Ecologists + MRG		François Doubin Brice Lalonde	670,474	3.32		0
	Workers' Struggle (LO)		Arlette Laguiller	417,702	2.07		0
	Union for French Democracy dissidents (UDF diss.)			382,404	1.89		0
	Others					—	0	—
Valid votes				20,180,934	96.47
Blank and invalid votes				737,838	3.53
Totals				20,918,772	100	—	81	0
Electorate (eligible voters) and voter turnout				36,880,688	56.72
Source: France-politique.fr

References[]