Paris (AFP)

The socialist mayor of Dijon François Rebsamen would vote without "the shadow of a hesitation" for Emmanuel Macron in the event of a second round against Marine Le Pen in the presidential election of 2022 and draws up a damning report of the PS, in an interview with the Journal du Sunday.

"Everything must be done to prevent factions from taking power in France. Me, if there is the slightest risk of seeing Marine Le Pen come to power, I will not have the shadow of a hesitation", underlines he does.

"Certainly, Macron has aroused hatred, in particular by his refusal to tax the richest. But when it comes to saving the Republic, there is no need to procrastinate," he adds, calling it "serious error" the intention of some on the left to exclude any vote for Macron.

For the June regional ones, Mr. Rebsamen pleads, if the situation requires it after the first round, for "a republican arc, which goes from the left of government to the republican right", in order to avoid that a "region does not fall into the hands of the FN ", that is to say the Rally of Marine Le Pen.

"Between the two rounds, I call on this Republican arc to merge, and not the Socialists to withdraw" as in 2015 in Paca or in Hauts-de-France, adds the former Minister of Labor, 69 years old.

If he assures that "the PS is not dead", the former senator considers the current leadership of the party "non-existent".

"It's absolutely sad. She even ended up discouraging the militants. She manages the decline in her corner, shouting: + Union, union, union! + But apart from running behind the environmentalists, on the strategy side, this 'is nothingness, "denounces this close to François Hollande.

Severe towards the boss of the Socialists, Olivier Faure, he is also severe with the head of the list supported by the PS in Ile-de-France, Audrey Pulvar.

"When I look at what is happening in Île-de-France, I am appalled. I do not see myself at all in Audrey Pulvar's candidacy," he said.

As for the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, she "wishes to be a candidate" for the Elysee Palace in 2022, he said, "and, at least, does not spit on our past".

But "we must first write a program, then choose the candidate," said the mayor of Dijon.

© 2021 AFP