French expatriates in Quebec were numerous to assert their right to vote yesterday at Collège Stanislas, during the first round of the French presidential elections. While everything was going smoothly here, we had to wait for hours in Montreal.
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“The French generally are very attached to their country. That 14,000 people are registered [à Québec]it’s spectacular”, explains the Consul General of France in Quebec, Frédéric Sanchez.
This number corresponds to the persons registered on the electoral list out of a total of approximately 30,000 French residents in Québec. Last night, the exact results of participation in the first round of voting were to be revealed, he said.
When the polling stations opened, there was at most a 20-minute wait and there was none for the rest of the day.
crucial election
In addition to the “duty to vote”, even abroad, some have done so for fear of seeing a rise of the far right.
These fears mainly target the candidates Éric Zemmour, who is at the head of the Reconquête party, and Marine Le Pen, of the National Rally party. These far-right parties advocate, among other things, a closure on immigration.
“The goal is to eliminate the most dangerous of the extreme right. People are afraid that it is a reality that they are taking power. I think there is an awakening of people who have never voted, ”said Perrine Pinel, installed in Quebec for almost a year.
Civic duty
For his part, Lucas Bouchoux, who has been living in Quebec for two years, will not wish to return to Europe if a far-right party comes to power. For him, it is important to go and vote so as not to choose between “Macron and Le Pen in the second round”, he adds.
“It is particular because there have been violent protests, the pandemic and scandals. I think these are crucial elections to regain the confidence of the French,” explains Ms. Pinel.
For others, voting is above all a responsibility of citizens. For Éric Le Hir, the election of a president is always important, because he is the one who “represents” the people.
Long wait in Montreal
In Montreal, the gray weather and the long queue around the Palais des Congrès did not discourage the French from coming to cast their ballots.
People had even been present since 7 a.m., two hours before the opening of the vote, to be sure not to relive the nightmare of the last presidential elections in 2017, where some had to wait five hours.