French legislative election, 1967

French legislative election, 1967

5 March and 12 March 1967
All 491 seats to the French National Assembly 246 seats were needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Georges Pompidou François Mitterrand Party UDR FGDS Leader's seat Cantal-2nd Nièvre-3rd Last election 268 seats 103 seats Seats won 243* 117 Seat change 25 14 Popular vote 8,448,082 (1st round) 7,972,908 (2nd round) 4,224,110 (1st round) 4,505,329 (2nd round) Percentage 37.73% (1st round) 42.60% (2nd round) 18.96% (1st round) 24.08% (2nd round)   Third party Fourth party   Leader Waldeck Rochet Jean Lecanuet Party PCF Democratic Centre Leader's seat Seine-Saint-Denis Seine-Maritime (Senator) Last election 41 seats 60 seats (MRP and CNIP) Seats won 73 41 Seat change 32 19 Popular vote 5,039,032 (1st round) 3,998,790 (2nd round) 2,829,995 (1st round) 1,328,777 (2nd round) Percentage 22.51% (1st round) 21.37% (2nd round) 12.64% (1st round) 7.10% (2nd round)
* Including Independent Republicans.
PM before election Georges Pompidou UDR Elected PM Georges Pompidou UDR

French legislative elections took place on 5 and 12 March 1967 to elect the third National Assembly of the Fifth Republic.

In December 1965, Charles de Gaulle was re-elected President of France in the first Presidential election by universal suffrage. However, contrary to predictions, there had been a second ballot. This election marked a process of rebuilding by the opposition.

François Mitterrand's unexpected result, as De Gaulle's challenger in the second round of the presidential election, allowed him to establish himself as the leader of the non-Communist Left. He led the Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left (FGDS), composed of the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO, socialist party), the Radical Party and several left-wing republican clubs, which concluded an electoral agreement with the French Communist Party (PCF).

The centrist and right-wing opposition to de Gaulle gathered in the Democratic Centre led by Jean Lecanuet, the "third man" of 1965 presidential election. However some centrists refused to integrate into this group and joined the Gaullist Party, which became the Union of Democrats for the Fifth Republic (UD5)

Prime Minister Georges Pompidou led the campaign of the incumbent majority, but this was divided. In January 1966, a cabinet reshuffle took place. The Independent Republicans (RI) leader and Economy minister Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was dismissed from the cabinet. His group stayed in the Presidential Majority but with a more critical position. He summed up this attitude by a "yes, but..." to Gaullist policies.

The result of the first round was perceived as a punishment against the Presidential Majority, which obtained a surprisingly low result. The outcome of the second round depended on the centrist voters. The Gaullists warned voters against a return to the Fourth Republic, political instability and "Communist danger". The alliance between centrists and the candidates of the Presidential Majority in some constituencies explained the victory of the Right in the second round.

The Left improved in comparison with the previous legislative election and the Presidential Majority won with only a one-seat majority. The centrist deputies were not numerous enough numerous to force the Gaullists to make compromises. Georges Pompidou was confirmed as Prime Minister of a UDR-RI cabinet.

Results

Parties and coalitions			1st round		2nd round		Total seats
			Votes	%	Votes	%
	Union of Democrats for the Fifth Republic (Union des démocrates pour la Cinquième République) - Independent Republicans (Républicains indépendants) Union of Democrats for the Fifth Republic (Union des démocrates pour la Cinquième République) Independent Republicans (Républicains indépendants)	UDVeR-RI	8,448,082	37.73	7,972,908	42.60	243 201 42
	Democratic Centre (Centre démocrate)	CD	2,829,995	12.64	1,328,777	7.10	41
	Miscellaneous Right	DVD	1,140,748	5.10	702,352	3.73	9
Total Right ("Presidential Majority" and CD)			12,418,825	55.47	10,004,037	53.43	293
	French Communist Party (Parti communiste français)	PCF	5,039,032	22.51	3,998,790	21.37	73
	Federation of the Democratic and Socialist Left (Fédération de la gauche démocrate et socialiste)	FGDS	4,224,110	18.96	4,505,329	24.08	117
	Unified Socialist Party (Parti socialiste unifié)	PSU	495,412	2.21	173,466	0.93	4
Total Left			9,758,554	43.68	8,677,585	46.38	194
	Republican Alliance for the Progress and Liberties (Alliance républicaine pour le progrès et les libertés)	ARPL	191,232	0.85	28,347	0.15	-
	Total		22,389,514	100.00	18,333,791	100.00	487
Abstention: 19.08% (1st round); 31.27% (2nd round)

Popular vote (first round)
UDVR-RI			37.73%
PCF			22.51%
FGDS			18.96%
CD			12.64%
DVD			5.10%
PSU			2.21%
Others			0.85%

3rd National Assembly by Parliamentary Group

Group		Members	Caucusing	Total
	UDR Group	180	20	200
	FGDS Group	116	5	121
	Communist Group	71	2	73
	Independent Republicans Group	39	3	42
	Progress and Modern Democracy Group	38	3	41
	Non-Inscrits	9	0	9
	Total:	453	33	486

• One seat vacant (Côte française des Somalis)