Panic when record elections are organized

Vacations have been cancelled, weddings cancelled, and thousands of volunteers called up.

In France, municipalities are struggling to organize parliamentary elections at record speed – at the same time as school graduation ceremonies and the Olympics are approaching.

On June 29, Laurence Durand-Neckard was to be married in the city hall of La Guerche-sur-l'Aubois. But the municipality has now canceled all scheduled events due to parliamentary elections scheduled for June 30 and July 7. Instead, Lawrence proposed in a tent on the football field.

– I don't care about the elections at all, I'm shocked that they have such consequences, she tells AFP.

Record breaking time

When President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called new elections on June 9, following his party's loss to the far-right in the European Parliament elections on the same day, it sparked panic in many of the country's municipalities. In a record short time – 20 days – the mayors of the country's 577 electoral districts must organize elections at the same time as the holiday season begins and numerous events linked to the Paris Olympics are planned throughout the country.

– I spent the whole morning trying to find people who could work during election days, Muriel Fabre, mayor of the city of Lambertheim in northeastern France, tells TT.

– Many of them are on vacation or already have other events planned.

In Bonneval, west of Paris, the municipality was forced to change the planned route of passing the Olympic torch through the city on July 7.

– The province does not want to move the polling stations, so we are changing the route of the Olympic torch through the city, says Mayor Eric Joubert to AFP.

Warns of difficulties

In Troyes in the eastern part of the country, the municipality is trying to solve how voters will get to the polls at the same time as the Tour de France bicycle race passes through the city, Le Courrier des Myers writes.

The French mayors' organization, AMF, came out and warned of the difficulties faced by municipalities.

The Arab Monetary Fund wrote in a press statement that “the sudden decision of the President of the Republic to call for new elections in a historically short time raises serious concern among many mayors,” adding that the “executive authority” appears to be unaware of the large financial burden on many mayors. . Municipalities that will be included in the elections.

In Lambertheim, the choice means additional costs that will affect the city budget.

– There will be costs for overtime for municipal employees as well as all materials that must be paid for, says Mayor Fabre, who also has another concern:

– There is great concern about the result and the policy that the country will follow after the elections.