<P> In the modern regime, there were three designs: in 1958 (regime change), 1987 (by Charles Pasqua) and 2010 (by Alain Marleix), three times by conservative governments . Pasqua's drawing was known to have been particularly good at gerrymandering, resulting in 80% of the seats with 58% of the vote in 1993, and forcing Socialists in the 1997 snap election to enact multiple pacts with smaller parties in order to win again, this time as a coalition . In 2010, the Sarkozy government created 12 districts for expats . </P> <P> The Constitutional council was called twice by the opposition to decide about gerrymandering, but it never considered partisan disproportions . However, it forced the Marleix committee to respect an 80--120% population ratio, ending a tradition dating back to the Revolution in which départements, however small in population, would send at least two MPs . </P> <P> Gerrymandering in France is also done against regionalist parties . Départements are always used even if they split urban areas or larger identity territories, and smaller identity divisions are avoided . </P> <P> When the electoral districts in Germany were redrawn in 2000, the ruling center - left Social Democratic Party (SPD) was accused of gerrymandering to marginalise the left - wing PDS party . The SPD combined traditional PDS strongholds in eastern Berlin with new districts made up of more populous areas of western Berlin, where the PDS had very limited following . </P>

What is gerrymandering and how does it work