French legislative election, 1967

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French legislative election, 1967

← 1962 5 March and 12 March 1967 1968 →

All 491 seats to the French National Assembly
246 seats were needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
  Georges Pompidou - Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F020538-0006.jpg Reagan Mitterrand 1984 (cropped).jpg
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 Decrease 25 Increase 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
  Waldeck Rochet 1968 (cropped).jpg Jean Lecanuet.jpg
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 Increase 32 Decrease 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)

2010UKElectionMap.svg

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

e • d 
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) 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)