THE French face many distractions in the month of May—spring weather and three paid holidays that make for long weekends on packed roads, while the Cannes Film Festival, the French soccer finals, and tennis’s French Open fill endless hours on television. Elections for the national legislature were not supposed to interrupt this busy schedule.
Yet, unexpectedly, France is in the midst of an intense campaign to elect a new National Assembly, the old one having been dissolved by President Jacques Chirac on April 21. The first, elimination round in this election has been called for May 25, a mere 34 days after the surprise announcement. The decisive round of voting will be held a week later, on June 1.
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