A candidate must take an absolute majority (more than 50%) in their constituency to win in the first round, and receive the support of at least 25% of all registered voters.

Triangulaires happen when a third candidate reaches the second round and refuses to either abandon his candidacy or to enter any form of electoral alliance.

The Socialists sought to prevent the UMP from winning too wide a majority that would give Sarkozy "full powers".

Between the two rounds of the presidential election, the UDF leader François Bayrou had announced the creation of a new political party, the Democratic Movement (MoDem), and refused to continue the alliance between centrists and the UMP.

Incumbent president of the UDF group in the National Assembly, Hervé Morin, led this new political formation and was nominated Defense Minister.

Interest in one local election race surrounded Gérard Vignoble of the UDF, who had represented Roubaix since 1988.

Vignoble announced that he would not stand again since this would put him against cardiologist Salem Kacet of the UMP, who had operated on him in 1999 and saved his life.

This project was perceived as contradictory to candidate Sarkozy's promise to be "President of the purchasing power".

Accused to be responsible of this result, Jean-Louis Borloo was nominated Minister of Ecology, replacing Alain Juppé, beaten in his constituency.

Their plea to voters to prevent an overwhelming UMP dominance of the legislature appears to have paid off, providing the Socialists with a measure of redemption from the election loss.

It remains to be seen whether Bayrou's party, which polled the third highest vote (7.61% in round one), will develop into a major political force.

Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres was defeated as well losing to Socialist Party candidate Jean-Patrick Gille.