How Aliot in Perpignan was inspired by the election of Ménard in Béziers

• Six years after Robert Ménard in Béziers, the far right has conquered a new stronghold, in the former Languedoc-Roussillon: the deputy RN Louis Aliot was elected mayor of Perpignan.
• An unlabeled, transpartisan list, and faced with a fragile republican front ... The two men have implemented similar strategies to conquer the two cities.
• Finally, Perpignan and Béziers in 2014 have similarities: very high unemployment and poverty rates, and outgoing mayors elected to the city for many years.

Six years after the election of Robert Ménard (various right) in Béziers (Hérault), the far right has conquered a new stronghold, in the former Languedoc-Roussillon: with 53.09% of the votes, Louis Aliot ( RN) was elected mayor of Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales), putting an end to 27 years of reign of the republican right in the Catalan city.

This former vice-president of the FN was also largely inspired, he agreed himself, by the victory of Robert Ménard in the sub-prefecture of Hérault, in 2014. In a joint press conference, on June 11, Louis Aliot had modeled the “successes” of the former journalist. "The Perpignan people have an eye on Béziers, and say" If we could do as in Béziers? " "Said Louis Aliot.

"A road to follow"

For months, the Frontist deputy thus applied himself to mount a campaign like that of Robert Ménard, six years ago. Without clearly displaying its label, first. "I will lead an opening list, gathering on which will appear people from the RN but not only", had trumpeted the candidate, a few months ago. Like his Biterrois counterpart, who had strived in 2014 to emancipate himself from the FN, by presenting a transpartisan team, despite the support of the party of Marine Le Pen.

The results in Perpignan

"Louis Aliot was the chief of staff of Jean-Marie Le Pen [former president of the FN], the companion of his daughter [from whom he is separated], but he gives an image of him which is not that one, explains political scientist Michel Crespy at 20 Minutes . He never invited Marine Le Pen to Perpignan, he did not put the RN on his posters, he ran a campaign on the theme of the rally. Like Robert Ménard. It's quite the same strategy. Is the mayor of Béziers a model for Louis Aliot? "A model, I don't know, that's what he says in any case," confides Robert Ménard to 20 Minutes. He told me he was inspired by Béziers, yes. This probably indicates a route to follow. "

The clear victory of my friend @louis_aliot at #Perpignan is a huge message of hope. We will move forward together! https://t.co/jHVcajOXrT

PERPIGNAN! 🇫🇷

A fragile republican front

In the two cities of the former Languedoc-Roussillon, the "republican front" has, moreover, not borne fruit. In Béziers, this is no longer the case today, and the left lost completely fragmented in March. And in Perpignan, despite the withdrawals of Romain Grau (LREM), and the candidate of the left, Agnès Langevine (EELV), Louis Aliot passed. Two candidates from the list of Romain Grau had even called to vote for the list of deputy RN. Louis Aliot had no trouble breaking through a cracked wall.

In Perpignan, Louis Aliot also takes charge of a disaster town, where the unemployment rate in 2016 exceeded 25%, and that of poverty 32%. One of the highest in France. Alarming statistics, comparable, with a few points, to those of Béziers. "The sociological compositions of the two cities are quite close," adds Michel Crespy. "When I went to Perpignan a fortnight ago, I had the impression of finding the Béziers of six years ago," says Robert Ménard. The recipes that worked in Béziers, they can probably work in Perpignan. "

Finally, there is the political context. "Jean-Marc Pujol was used, Raymond Couderc was also used in Béziers", continues Michel Crespy. In Perpignan, the outgoing, Jean-Marc Pujol (LR), 71, had been mayor since 2009, and elected to the city since 1989. Louis Aliot, known nationally, had been striding for years with the accent of the South the city Catalan, who has escaped him twice. He had already taken an important first step by being elected in 2017 deputy of the 2nd district.

In 2014, in Béziers, Raymond Couderc (LR), then aged 68, had passed the hand, while he had ruled the city since 1995, and was elected since 1983. Robert Ménard, who notably grew up in the district of Devèze, had quit his career as a journalist to present his candidacy to Béziers. This year, he was triumphantly re-elected in the first round, with almost 70% of the vote.

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• Elections
• Robert Ménard
• National Front
• Municipal
• Louis aliot
• Languedoc-Roussillon
• Perpignan
• National gathering
• Beziers