Overseas French nationals cast votes to elect councillor

Overseas French nationals successful Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala formed their ballots successful the predetermination to the station of Councillors for the French surviving abroad, who liason betwixt the expatriate assemblage and the French authorities.

There are 4,378 voters registered successful the consular registry of the French consulate successful Puducherry, with a bulk of them successful the Union Territory of Puducherry. The Consulate organised the elections crossed 4 polling stations - 2 successful Puducherry, 1 successful Chennai, and 1 successful Karaikal.

Voting was held from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.

Elected by nonstop cosmopolitan suffrage for a six-year-term, the Councilors correspond French citizens residing overseas and beryllium connected the Consular Council. They are consulted connected matters affecting the French community, including acquisition scholarships, societal assistance and enactment for section French associations.

According to the French Consulate, these ‘councillors for the French surviving abroad’, oregon advisers correspond the French nationals successful their constituency, but bash not correspond the State oregon the Government of France, a relation assumed by the Ambassadors and Consuls General.

They besides enactment successful the predetermination of senators representing French citizens established extracurricular France, thereby maintaining a nonstop antiauthoritarian nexus betwixt French nationals overseas and the institutions of the French republic.

The 2026 Consular elections are being held worldwide. In the Puducherry constituency, voters volition elite 3 Councillors.

Worldwide, determination are 433 councilors for French surviving abroad. In turn, these councilors signifier portion of an electoral assemblage that votes for the practice of French citizens astatine the Assembly of French Citizens overseas and for members of the Senate, the French Parliament’s Upper House.

According to Etienne Rolland-Piegue, Consul General of France successful Puducherry and Chennai, “This predetermination is an important antiauthoritarian infinitesimal for our community. I promote each registered elector to enactment successful this important civic exercise.”