Three lists for the National Council

On Friday afternoon, three lists of candidates for election to Monaco's National Council were confirmed. As expected, the current ruling party Union pour Monaco (UPM), and the opposition alliance Rassemblement & Enjeux, both fielded the full 24 candidates. Monaco Ensemble's list contained just 15 candidates, and the Parti Monegasque pulled out their 13 candidates at the last minute. It's now up to the 7600 Monegasque nationals to cast their votes on Sunday 3 February.
With such a large number of candidates, it's difficult to predict the likely result of the election, since many voters and candidates know each other personally. In the 2003 election, the Inter-Parliamentary Union reports that just two lists were presented and nearly 80% of the electorate voted. The election was won by the opposition party alliance of UPM. This year, the ages of many candidates are younger, possibly due to those 18 to 21 year olds who were allowed to vote for the first time during the last election. There are also more women candidates.
For those who haven't yet decided who to support, each party will hold a meeting next week to present their manifestos. First, Rassemblement & Enjeux on Wednesday, Monaco Ensemble on Thursday, and lastly, UPM on Friday.