FLN wins parliamentary election in Algeria – turnout at historic low

Record-low turnout

The head of the election commission, Karim Khelfane, rejected the concern that the low turnout is a sign of a democratic crisis. He described the high rate of abstention as "kein spezifisches Phänomen Algeriens" and pointed out that low turnout figures can be observed in elections worldwide. He also described the elections as "transparent."

Critics, however, see the low turnout as an expression of a deep-seated alienation between the population and the political class. Young voters in particular have repeatedly protested against the political system in recent years. The low level of support for the election is therefore also interpreted as a vote of no confidence in the political leadership.

FLN under pressure

The FLN was once the party that led the independence struggle against French colonial rule. Even after independence in 1962, it provided the president for decades and dominated parliament. In recent years, however, it has had to accept increasing losses as parts of the electorate turned to other parties or turned their backs on politics altogether.

In addition to the FLN, numerous other parties and independent lists ran. A breakdown of the remaining seat allocation has not yet been published in detail by the election commission. Observers are waiting for the official allocation of the remaining mandates in order to be able to fully assess the balance of power in the new parliament.

The FLN had also won the parliamentary election five years ago, but with significantly higher turnout. The comparison of the two polls makes the decline of the former state party particularly visible: while millions of Algerians used to line up at the polling stations, this time more than three quarters of eligible voters stayed at home.

Outlook on the new legislative period

International election observers have not yet conclusively assessed the vote. The election commission stressed, however, that the proceedings had been proper and that the count had shown no irregularities. Independent verifications of the results are still pending.

The new composition of parliament is not expected to be fully determined until the coming weeks, once all mandates have been allocated and any objections have been clarified. Only then will it become clear with what majority the future government coalition can work and what role the opposition forces will play in parliament.