Marseille (AFP)

Europe Ecology-The Greens (EELV) has decided to embark on the campaign for the municipal elections in Marseille by building without waiting its "eco-citizen list", a cold shower for those who counted on an alliance of the forces of the left.

In the second city of France, the left parties and groups of inhabitants and activists have been discussing for weeks an alliance to present a unique list, the only hope for them to succeed the right, very settled: the mayor LR Jean-Claude Gaudin will leave his chair after 25 years in office.

The PS, France Insoumise or the communists in particular seemed to have resolved and discussions are taking place.

But weary of negotiations that trample, and seeing the increasing number of entries into the campaign, with already two candidates launched in the race nomination LR, as at LREM, and a candidate on the far right, EELV members have voted in General meeting to 80% for a list "eco-citizen" on a program centered on ecology, told AFP Sébastien Barles. At the age of 46, this former European parliamentary assistant, who presented this motion, was voted first.

"It is considered that the city can be turned around around the ecology, it can bring back the abstainers and disappointed 50 years of municipal negligence at the polls.We would like our partners to hear," he added. .

EELV, of which less than a hundred members were present during the vote, already claims the support of several small ecologist parties like Urgence Ecologie and representatives of the civil society, and discusses with others like Génération.s. And "the door is not closed" to other parties, argues Mr. Barles.

"I do not know if there will be a list or two lists (on the left - ed) but we must avoid being divided," he added, pointing out the risk of the National Gathering, which already holds a town hall.

- "Ranger Flags" -

But left, after weeks of attempts to "overtake parties by storing the flags" in the words of the leader of the PS to the city Benedict Payan, this decision is a cold shower for many.

"I respect this choice but I regret it," said Mr. Payan to AFP: "We share a report, a vision and solutions in the most polluted city in the country." "I can not believe that a question of parties separates us." We reach out, we must be both up to the challenge, "he added.

In the insubordinate France also, one of the leaders of the "popular federation", Mohamed Bensaada, regrets a vote that "complicates the deal" for the left, but wants "to continue to discuss". This decision "divides the left but also the ecology", added the other leader of LFI, Sophie Camard, a former EELV, deputy representative of Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

The deputy François-Michel Lambert, whose party, the UDE (Union Democrats Ecologites), was discussing with the rest of the left, denounces the "sufficiency and turpitude" EELV, which "prefers the defeat of the camp of progress in benefit of conservatives and lobbies ". "Marseille is 1,500 people dislodged, the lack of swimming pools, schools degraded pollution .. If (Sebastien Barles) think that all alone, he can do it, it belongs to him".

On the rest of the political spectrum, three candidates have already gone to campaign: Senator Republicans Bruno Gilles, LR Chair of the Department Martine Vassal and Senator Rassemblement Nationale Stéphane Ravier. The presidential majority has not yet nominated his candidate, but MP Said Ahamada and the former president of Aix-Marseille University Yvon Berland are candidates for the LREM nomination.

© 2019 AFP