Presidential: Montebourg "offers its candidacy" for "a common project"

Europe 1 with AFP 6:52 p.m., December 8, 2021

The presidential candidate of the "Remontada de la France" Arnaud Montebourg declared Wednesday, in an "address to the people of the left", "to be ready to offer his candidacy for a project and a common candidate" if a discussion between all left candidates opens.

The letter from the former socialist minister, published on Twitter, came two hours from an interview with socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo on TF1 news, but Arnaud Montebourg's entourage assured AFP that the two had nothing to do with it.

People of the left, a danger threatens our country.

pic.twitter.com/NwvmOm7mYO

- ☰ Arnaud Montebourg (@montebourg) December 8, 2021

A call for the "unification" of the left

Arnaud Montebourg extended the interview he gave to

on Wednesday, and in which he called for the "unification" of the left. Noting that "the extreme right is at the gates of power", Arnaud Montebourg writes in his letter that he "measures the depth of the unitary aspiration which embraces the spirits". "I reject the fate of the five left candidates when all the other political families are almost reunited behind theirs," he said. "To contribute, I am ready to offer my candidacy for a common project and a common candidate," he adds. "I invite my competitors and comrades to do the same."

The entourage of the former Minister of Productive Recovery, credited with between 1 and 3% in the polls, told AFP that the candidate "is not withdrawing".

His offer could mean a withdrawal if all the candidates brought by LFI, PCF, PS, EELV "open at the same time this debate" of a single candidacy.

"If this is not the case, we will go to the end, knowing that the dynamic is not on the side of the left," continued this source.

An important announcement from Anne Hidalgo

Anne Hidalgo, also struggling in the polls, where she is credited with between 3 and 7% of the voting intentions, will come for her part "to announce what follow-up she intends to give to her campaign," said TF1.

But his entourage told AFP that the latter has no intention of giving up the presidential race, "more determined than ever".

The mayor of Paris canceled at the last moment Wednesday a trip to Charente, "because of a meeting on the health crisis".