Marseille (AFP)

Senator LR Bruno Gilles, one of the two candidates declared right for the mayor of Marseille, said Friday he wants to "inspire" the memory of former President Jacques Chirac, who taught him to "never give up" .

Distribution of apples, reminder of the "remontada" of 1995 against Balladur, account of his work with the former president in Bouches-du-Rhône: Bruno Gilles, who faces competition from the president LR of the department and the metropolis Martine Vassal, paid tribute and multiplied the winks to the former president, died Thursday, at a public meeting.

"Chirac never gave up (...) When you are determined, nothing can stop you.It is one of the greatest lessons I learned from him," hammered the candidate, declared for a year.

Former mayor of sector and pillar of the Marseille right, Mr. Gilles responded to the attacks of his rival who has received since the announcement of his candidacy in early September the support of outgoing mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin and a good part of its majority.

Ms. Vassal accuses him of having chosen a national mandate, in the Senate, rather than the municipal executive? Charging "totally displaced and above ground," he retorts: "Jean-Claude Gaudin has always said, you have to know the national to claim to lead a city like Marseille". "Very few have had to make that choice," he retorted.

Faced with his rival who aspires to cumulate the presidency of the metropolis Aix-Marseille and the town hall located on the Old Port, Mr. Gilles promises to be "mayor full time": "Everyone has already to do in the responsibilities he already exercises ".

The president LR of the Paca region Renaud Muselier, who also presents himself as a "baby Chirac", was present alongside Bruno Gilles, proposing that the latter "can build a marseillo-compatible front". On the sidelines of the meeting, Mr. Muselier said he wanted to deliver a message of "unity and respect" for the Republicans to retain the largest city in France they run: "It is necessary that (the two candidates on the right) speak, "he pleads.

In addition to these two candidates, Senator RN Stéphane Ravier is already campaigning in Marseille. The rest of the landscape is still unclear, less than six months away from the first round: neither LREM nor the left-wing parties presented any program or candidate.

© 2019 AFP