Senatorial election in France in September 2023
Senatorial elections took place on 24 September 2023 to renew 172 of the 348 seats in the Senate of the French Fifth Republic. The Republicans, led by Bruno Retailleau, emerged as the largest group for the fourth consecutive cycle, but lost 7 seats.
Context.
2020 senatorial elections.
The 2020 senatorial elections led to a renforcement of the right-wing and centre majority. The parties making up majority of the National Assembly failed to gain ascendancy, while the Ecologist group reappeared.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the renewal of six senators representing French citizens living abroad was pushed back a year, while the French consular elections were themselves postponed till May 2021. As a result, their renewal took place in September 2021.
In its previous configuration from the elections of 2022, the Senate was composed of three major groups (LR, UC and SER) and six minor groups. It was thus predominantly right- and centre-leaning. The Republicans and Centrist Union group had 202 out of 348 seats, forming a majority. The main force of opposition came from the Socialists with 64 senators.
2022 presidential and legislative elections.
These elections took place 16 months after the 2022 presidential election, which saw the reelection of the outgoing President Emmanuel Macron, as well as 14 months after the 2022 legislative election, which marked the end of the 15th legislature of the Fifth Republic. The latter led to a recomposition of the National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament.
Partisan objectives.
The senatorial majority of the right and centre was the favourite retain the their majority. According to senator Roger Karoutchi of Hauts-de-Seine, the prospects ranged from a loss of 5 seats to a gain of 2 seats within the Senate Republicans, the most important group in terms of the numerical strength in the Senate. 
With regard to the centrists, their objective was the surpassing the Socialist group and becoming the Senate's secondary political group. Numerically, the group's prospects ranged from a loss of 4 seats to a gain of 3 seats.
References.
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