Amiens (AFP)

Chancellor of a "popular ecological front", François Ruffin goes from theory to practice on Saturday by holding a meeting in Amiens with the Mayor EELV of Grenoble Eric Piolle, figure of an alliance between "green" and "red".

The municipal elections of March 2020 come forward and the insubordinate France deputy of the Somme would like to redo the coup of the legislative of 2017, when he had been elected with the support of a wide left arch, from EELV to LFI by way of by the PCF.

This time, François Ruffin does not show up but he intends to take advantage of his notoriety accumulated for two years to win his camp in the Picardy city and give the example of the alliance "green and red" that he advocates for "consume less and distribute better".

Eric Piolle is therefore erected as a model. The ecologist was indeed elected in Grenoble with the support of the radical left.

Although his mandate has sometimes been shaken, most of his majority has not wavered in the face of environmental measures against advertising and for organic food in the canteen. Eric Piolle has even paid the luxury, recently, to record the support of some socialists in Grenoble against the PS candidacy official municipal.

"We do not want to leave the country in the political situation where it should decide between the ultra-liberalism of Macron and Le Pen," says Eric Piolle to AFP, which is said to be "zero Marxism" compared to a François Ruffin who summons the imaginary of the class struggle in his vision of ecology.

"The social and environmental justice go hand in hand: in Grenoble, for example, we have set solidarity rates for water based on income," however adds the mayor of Grenoble.

The "connection" between the two men can also be seen as a way to counterbalance the vision of an autonomous ecologist party, sure of its strength, led by the leader Yannick Jadot who multiplies travel in major cities.

The MEP himself made a gesture towards François Ruffin, confiding in Libération early November: "To win the next sequences, it will have to gather wide (...) I may want to federate differently but I do not feel at all incompatible with him ".

- "We decide and follow you" -

"What at Piolle interested Ruffin, it is this side free spirit within EELV, which knew how to build with the force of the wrist a majority where it makes live the diversity", analysis Sergio Coronado, former member EELV spent at LFI and candidate potential of both formations at Bondy.

Like the Grenoblois, the Aminois had to put his hands in the grease of local politics, a new exercise for this free electron who says he is uncomfortable with the "drunk" parties.

The MP has gathered eight political forces: EELV, LFI, his micro-party Picardie Debout, Public Place, the PS, the PCF, Ensemble and the collective "Resolutely left". The discussions are on track thanks to the "balancing act" of Mr. Ruffin, reports to AFP the leader of EELV Emilie Thérouin.

Everything does not go smoothly. The ecologists ask to be in the lead pair while the Insoumis initially wanted a duo composed of the architect Julien Pradat, a former LCR, for the metropolis, and Evelyne Becker, leader of LFI, for the town hall.

This situation has displeased many local rebel activists. Some of them are considering a dissenting list, disgruntled in particular to see the electoral committee to Evelyne Becker for a rally including the PS while Francois Ruffin himself had said several times his incompatibility with the Socialists.

"What disturbs the most is the method: things are imposed, our work from the European is denied, it is + We decide and you follow +", testifies Zahia Hamdane, referent of a local action group , who will still pass a head at Saturday's meeting. History to see the elusive François Ruffin for the first time.

© 2019 AFP