The 2026 French Senate elections have concluded with the right-wing bloc maintaining its control of the upper house of Parliament, despite losing some seats. A total of 178 out of 348 seats were up for grabs, with 87,000 electors casting their ballots. The election results, announced on Sunday, did not significantly alter the balance of power in the Senate, which has been dominated by the right-wing bloc for years. The final results are expected to be released on Monday morning.
The center-right Les Républicains (LR) party, led by Bruno Retailleau, was expected to remain the largest group in the Senate, albeit with a reduced number of seats. Before the election, the LR group had 131 seats, but was estimated to have lost a few seats to the more hardline right-wing Union des droites pour la République (UDR) group, led by Eric Ciotti. The UDR group is seen as a more radical version of the LR party.
The center-right bloc, which includes the LR and UDI (Union des démocrates indépendants) parties, is expected to maintain its majority in the Senate. The UDI party had 59 seats before the election and was hoping to increase its tally to over 60 seats. With the LR and UDI groups combined, the center-right bloc is likely to retain its control of the Senate.
One of the notable surprises of the election was the performance of the far-right Rassemblement national (RN) party and the leftist La France insoumise (LFI) party. Both parties made gains in the Senate, with some of their candidates winning seats. This marks a significant shift in the French Senate, which has traditionally been dominated by center-right and center-left parties.
Gérard Larcher, who has been the President of the Senate since 2014, is expected to be re-elected to the position on October 1. Larcher is a member of the LR party and has been a key figure in the Senate for many years. His re-election is seen as a sign of continuity and stability in the upper house of Parliament.
The 2026 Senate elections were seen as an important test of the French electorate's mood ahead of the 2027 presidential election. While the results did not produce any major surprises, they did highlight the ongoing shift in French politics towards more hardline and populist parties. The RN and LFI parties' gains in the Senate are likely to be seen as a sign of this trend.
The final results of the Senate elections are expected to be released on Monday morning, which will provide a clearer picture of the balance of power in the upper house of Parliament. However, based on the current estimates, it is clear that the right-wing bloc will continue to dominate the Senate, with the center-right LR and UDI parties maintaining their majority.
Key points
- The right-wing bloc maintains control of the French Senate despite losses.
- The far-right RN and leftist LFI parties make surprise gains in the Senate.
- Gérard Larcher is expected to be re-elected as President of the Senate on October 1.
