From the Barrel of a Gun: Chasse, Pêche, Nature, Traditions

Abstract

Chasse, Pêche, Nature et Traditions (Shooting, Fishing, Nature and Traditions, or CPNT) is a political party representing, in the first instance, France’s 1.4 million or so licensed guns.¹ From its foundation (as simply Chasse, Peche, et Traditions) in 1989 to June 2002 it contested seven elections nationwide: three for the European parliament, two for France’s regional councils, and the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2002. Its average level of support across the period was roughly 800,000 votes, or just under 4 per cent of votes cast (Figure 10.1), with a dip in 1998 to some 570,000 votes. A sharp rise in 1999 to over 1.2 million was confirmed at the 2002 presidential election (when higher turnout gave a lower percentage score for the same number of votes). But the relative fragility of the CPNT audience was confirmed by a drop to some 420,000 at the parliamentary elections of 2002, which proved disappointing for all small parties. CPNT was also the only party to call for a blank vote at the September 2000 referendum on the five-year presidential term, and may therefore claim some of the ‘credit’ for the 1.94 million blank or spoilt ballots cast (16 per cent of the total who voted) then.