in the first round, voters between hesitation and disillusion

“Before I voted for the right. Here, it was Valérie Boyer, the deputy. She was doing a pretty good job. » Black polo shirt and sunglasses, Jean-Claude comes from the school of La Rosière, in the 12th arrondissement of Marseille. The Beaumont district, where a large part of the Armenian community lives, has long been won over to the traditional right. But this time, Jean-Claude slipped a ballot for the National Rally into the ballot box. “From now on, at Les Républicains, who is there? Nobody. They no longer represent anything. he justifies.

In Marseille, “this time, everything is blurry! »

In this first constituency of Bouches-du-Rhône, which includes the 11th, 12th and part of the 10th arrondissement of Marseille, the right-wing vote appears extremely scattered. In 2017, Valérie Boyer – who became a senator for Les Républicains – was elected there without difficulty: with 55.1% of the vote against 44.9% for the macronist Pascal Chamassian. “But this time, everything is blurry! », Michèle, 84, gets annoyed in the courtyard of the pretty elementary school in Saint-Barnabé, a well-to-do neighborhood with charming old houses.

Like many traditional voters on the Marseille right, torn between loyalty to the Les Républicains (LR) party, rallying to the Macronist pole and the far right, she found “very difficult to choose”. Spruce green tunic and straw hat on his head, the octogenarian has “voted for Macron, but reluctantly” – that is to say for Sabrina Agresti-Roubache, representative of the majority. Beside her, her son gently teases her: “So, like that, Macron is on the right now? »“I voted that so as not to vote for the extremes! », Michele retorts.

In Bobigny, « right or left, I was too disappointed »

Far from these political calculations, the inhabitants of Bobigny, in Seine-Saint-Denis, vote in the first place by « civic duty ». At least those rare ones who made the trip to the polling station at City Hall. But Claire Dupoizat does not despair of seeing the queue lengthen over the day. « There were a lot of people for the presidential election, with a very strong mobilization of young people », recalls the president of the polling station.

Joanna (1), 19, is among the first voters of the day. Not a coincidence but almost. « I live opposite the town hall, and then my mother insisted a lot », she says, pointing to her mother, posted at the window of her apartment for the » to watch « . The legislative elections, Joanna admits that she does not really understand the issues. « It’s not that I’m not interested in it, but all that is complicated », she smiled.

Here, Jean-Luc Mélenchon gathered more than 60% of the votes during the first round of the presidential election. Feeding the hope of LFI lawyer Raquel Garrido, competing under the banner of Nupes, to win against the president of the UDI (Union of Democrats and Independents) Jean-Christophe Lagarde, who is seeking a 5th term. A victory for the left that could change things? Claudine, a resident of Bobigny for more than thirty years, does not believe it for a moment. “At 85, I no longer have any illusions about politics! Right or left, I was too disappointed. But I am exercising my civic duty,” she lets go.

In Montargis, the shadow of yellow vests

Same disillusion in Montargis, in the Loiret. « Even my wife, who had never missed an election, didn’t want to come with me this morning! notes Michel, 86, under the lime trees of the Pasteur school, his usual polling station in the city center. And I don’t really trust anyone anymore. Elected officials spend without counting or knowing how they will repay. » Out of loyalty, this former SME boss still opted for Ariel Lévy, the LR candidate and colt of Jean-Pierre Door, the former mayor of Montargis, outgoing deputy for the constituency. Without much conviction.

It must be said that the candidacy of Jean-Michel Blanquer, who nevertheless placed the 4^e constituency of Loiret under media fire, did not have the effect hoped for by those close to Emmanuel Macron. Small summary of the economic and social fractures of the country, this bastion of the right for more than forty years could switch to the far right. The young regional councilor Thomas Ménagé is advancing in this ballot as a favorite, with the firm intention of building on the 52% obtained by Marine Le Pen in the second round of the presidential election.

“Promises are never kept! », slice William, in his thirties, who accompanies his wife, but will not vote. With a vehemence that is reminiscent of the strong mobilization of yellow vests around Montargis. Here, the movement, represented by Olivier Rohaut, well known to social networks, only needs a spark to start again.

In Bobigny, Marie-Louise is not the type to demonstrate. the » change « , the septuagenarian awaits her firmly, but at the polls. Retired from the prefecture, where she was a cook, she only manages with the help of her two grown children who live with her. “The problem is money. Pensions are not increasing, but the cost of living is skyrocketing. « Here, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t struggle », abounds the young Joanna, getting ready to find friends who, themselves, will not go to vote. “I believe that politics can change things, but for that, elected officials would have to be honest. »

FIND Sunday, June 12 from 8 p.m. the results of the first round of the 2022 legislative elections, municipality by municipality