[3] The Far-right National Front party also claimed its first two seats in the senate election, which their leader Marine Le Pen described as "a historic victory".

[5] France held municipal elections on 23 March 2014, in which the results saw the Socialist Party lose control of 155 towns.

[6] Following the results of the municipal election, French President François Hollande announced that he would be changing the Prime Minister in his administration.

[6] The French Prime Minister at the time, Jean-Marc Ayrault, promptly resigned publicly on 31 March 2014, and was subsequently replaced by Manuel Valls on 1 April 2014.

[7] Valls pledged that the new administration would focus on deficit cuts and pro-business tax reforms.

[7] These movements created a divide in the Socialist party, as an increasing number of ministers under Hollande's government agreed with Montebourg's views.

[7] Numerous centre-right politicians also called for Montebourg to step down from his position as economy minister.

[3] Senators are chosen through elected officials, this including regional and city councillors, mayors, and members of the French National Assembly.

[10] This all contributed to a poor public perception of Hollande, leading to him being the most unpopular president in modern French history with a record low approval rating of 13% in 2014.

[4] The National Front was able to capitalise on recent success it found in local elections, including topping the European parliament vote in May 2014.

[4] Ravier also commented on the FN party's victory, stating that, "There is only one door left for us to push and it is that of the Élysée [presidential palace]".

[15] The election of senators Teura Iriti and Vincent Dubois, who were elected in French Polynesia, were annulled by the French constitutional court, after it was found that supporters of the presiding Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party had marched to polling stations, consequently placing excessive pressure on the electoral college.

[3] Prior to the election, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Gérard Larcher, and Philippe Marini were all touted as potential successors for the position of the senate president, all of them from the UMP.

[18] Gérard Larcher first ran for the position of president of the senate in 2008, in which he was nominated against former prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

[19] He attempted to become president of the senate in 2008 but was unsuccessful, as he was unable to secure the backing of the UMP, which Gérard Larcher instead received.