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Reading her auto-translated program (https://mlafrance.fr/programme https://mlafrance.fr/programme), this point caught my eye: 11 Introduce the Citizens' Initi

Reading her auto-translated program (https://mlafrance.fr/programme https://mlafrance.fr/programme), this point caught my eye: 11 Introduce the Citizens' Initiative Referendum and introduce proportional representation. Does France currently have a first-past-the-post style system, the kind that usually devolves into only two viable parties? What is Macron's stance on this?

Barrin92 5y ago
Not strictly first past the post but a similar two round system, which devolves into the same thing as people have to tactically vote or risk wasting them. And even worse is that the legislative has the same system with single members being elected to the legislative through local two-round elections as well, which meant that in 2017 En Marche, Macron's party ended up with a large majority of seats but basically 25% of popular support. France generally produces the most disproportionate election results in any Western democracy.
mytailorisrich 5y ago
For Parliamentary elections there's a two round system that works this way: First round candidates who got more that a certain threshold (percentage of registered voters) go through to second round unless a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote and is then elected. Usually that means 2 candidates, sometimes 3. Second round is first past the post. Le Pen has been campaigning for decades to change the system to a more proportional representation because although they get something like 20-30% of the votes overall they get very few MPs, approx 0 to 5 out of 577 because they don't reach majorities in constituencies. This is standard in electoral systems based on constituencies vs. systems based on share of national vote ( for instance, Israel?)
- hef19898 5y ago
  And that is the sole reason Le Pen want's to change it. Her RN, ex FN, doesn't get the seats and powerbase she wants.
- car_analogy 5y ago
  > although they get something like 20-30% of the votes overall they get very few MPs, approx 0 to 5 out of 577 because they don't reach majorities in constituencies. Sounds like the current system is very undemocratic. Concerns about gerrymandering in the US seem utterly trivial in comparison.
  - mytailorisrich 5y ago
    It's the same in the US. The difference is that since the US are pretty much strictly bi-partite it does not really impact representativity, whereas France hasa number of different parties.
    - car_analogy 5y ago
      The reason the US is bi-partite is the voting system, so you can't say it doesn't impact representativity.
      - belltaco 5y ago
        There are dozens of countries if not more that have a FPTP system but have multiple viable parties.
        rich_sasha 5y ago
        Are there? UK notionally comes up as an example, but it really isn’t. There are 5-10 parties in the House of Commons, but only two that count for anything in terms of seat count. Which is quite damning to the idea of the “Union” btw, the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland have their own parties that get a large proportion of available seats, and they are still nonexistent on national politics.
hef19898 5y ago
France doesn't have a two party system. Presidents are directly elected by a sinple majority, in most cases this requires a run off between the two leading candidates. "Citizens Referendums" are a commen trope in Europes far right, as long as they are not part of government that is. Basically, it's populism through the back door.

Barrin92 5y ago

Not strictly first past the post but a similar two round system, which devolves into the same thing as people have to tactically vote or risk wasting them. And even worse is that the legislative has the same system with single members being elected to the legislative through local two-round elections as well, which meant that in 2017 En Marche, Macron's party ended up with a large majority of seats but basically 25% of popular support. France generally produces the most disproportionate election results in any Western democracy.

mytailorisrich 5y ago

For Parliamentary elections there's a two round system that works this way: First round candidates who got more that a certain threshold (percentage of registered voters) go through to second round unless a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote and is then elected. Usually that means 2 candidates, sometimes 3. Second round is first past the post. Le Pen has been campaigning for decades to change the system to a more proportional representation because although they get something like 20-30% of the votes overall they get very few MPs, approx 0 to 5 out of 577 because they don't reach majorities in constituencies. This is standard in electoral systems based on constituencies vs. systems based on share of national vote ( for instance, Israel?)

hef19898 5y ago
And that is the sole reason Le Pen want's to change it. Her RN, ex FN, doesn't get the seats and powerbase she wants.
car_analogy 5y ago
> although they get something like 20-30% of the votes overall they get very few MPs, approx 0 to 5 out of 577 because they don't reach majorities in constituencies. Sounds like the current system is very undemocratic. Concerns about gerrymandering in the US seem utterly trivial in comparison.
- mytailorisrich 5y ago
  It's the same in the US. The difference is that since the US are pretty much strictly bi-partite it does not really impact representativity, whereas France hasa number of different parties.
  - car_analogy 5y ago
    The reason the US is bi-partite is the voting system, so you can't say it doesn't impact representativity.
    - belltaco 5y ago
      There are dozens of countries if not more that have a FPTP system but have multiple viable parties.
      - rich_sasha 5y ago
        Are there? UK notionally comes up as an example, but it really isn’t. There are 5-10 parties in the House of Commons, but only two that count for anything in terms of seat count. Which is quite damning to the idea of the “Union” btw, the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland have their own parties that get a large proportion of available seats, and they are still nonexistent on national politics.

hef19898 5y ago

France doesn't have a two party system. Presidents are directly elected by a sinple majority, in most cases this requires a run off between the two leading candidates. "Citizens Referendums" are a commen trope in Europes far right, as long as they are not part of government that is. Basically, it's populism through the back door.