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00:00Well, as you said, those figures you cited are much, much higher than what we've got
00:04used to seeing in French parliamentary elections in 2022 and in 2017.
00:11The participation, the turnout figures dropped below 50% and to see 59.39% long before polls
00:19have even closed, that's a real coup.
00:22It's worth noting, as you say, the big point of comparison is in fact not the most recent
00:27parliamentary elections, but that 1997 snap election.
00:32Of course, legislative elections in France usually come just two months after a presidential
00:37election, which usually brings out a result that aligns with the presidential election.
00:42And so this is a very unusual situation, the electoral calendar has been interrupted, voters
00:48have been galvanized, because in this election there is a chance to really massively change
00:54the French political landscape from the status quo.
00:57You've seen people in the streets going up to other people out and about, encouraging
01:00them to make sure they go out and vote, because that is just how switched on voters seem to
01:06be this time.
01:07It is an incredibly consequential election, and Antonia, just how is that higher turnout
01:12going to be impacting these results?
01:15Well, it's worth noting that the French system is extremely complicated for parliamentary
01:22elections.
01:23Some races across France, of those 577 different constituencies up for grabs, some races will
01:29be settled today in one round, but in order for that to be the case, a candidate would
01:34need to have an absolute majority in the votes cast, and there also would need to be more
01:38than 50% turnout.
01:40Most races though will go through to two rounds, and anyone who makes 12.5% of registered voters,
01:47that's not votes cast, it's a slightly higher threshold, will go through to the next round.
01:52And it's usually a two-horse race, but higher turnout will push up more candidates' numbers
01:58and will potentially mean there are more triangulars, as they're called.
02:03Triangulars are fairly rare in French elections.
02:052022 saw eight seats going through to these three-horse races in the second round.
02:10Only one seat in 2017 was in that situation, but we're expecting many, many more this time
02:18around.
02:19We haven't really seen just who benefits from that, but it would really change the shape
02:23of the results eventually and how the campaign plays out this week, with many more likely
02:28wheeling and dealing between parties as candidates in these three-horse races potentially decide
02:35alliances to be drawn or who to put their weight behind.