Paris (AFP)

The Prime Minister launches into battle: Edouard Philippe will run as the top candidate in the municipal elections in Le Havre in March, but will remain in Matignon if he is elected, a decision criticized by the opposition.

A decision "matured like any important decision", based on the idea that "in a democracy, the foundation of legitimacy is election", and that "our fellow citizens above all do not want above-ground political leaders ", justifies Friday in the daily Paris-Normandy the one who already ruled the Norman city from 2010 until his entry to Matignon in 2017.

Mr. Philippe, expected Friday evening at a meeting in Le Havre, had revived the hypothesis of his candidacy last September by recalling, in a declaration of public love for the city, that his "guts" of great-grandson of dock worker had "a taste of salt water".

While he was credited with intentions in Paris for this election, he claims to have "never considered a political engagement elsewhere than in Le Havre", where he was elected since 2001 and built his political career, first under the tutoring of the emblematic mayor Antoine Rufenacht.

"This is the city I love. This is where my ties are," pleaded one who does not miss an opportunity to sing the merits of the port in his public interventions.

- "Steal the election in Le Havres" -

Elected in the first round in 2014 under the UMP label (now Les Républicains) with 52% of the vote, Mr. Philippe stressed that "his greatest ambition" was to become mayor again.

In the meantime, "if the President of the Republic continues to trust me, I will continue to fulfill my mission as Prime Minister because we do not shirk when it comes to serving his country," he said. he continued.

Thus, if he was elected on the evening of March 22, Mr. Philippe would propose that the current mayor (LR) Jean-Baptiste Gastinne keep the chair. And "the day when my mission will end in Matignon, I wish, if the people of Le Havre obviously trust me, to become mayor again because this is where I want to continue to invest myself," he explained.

His candidacy aroused criticism from the opposition, from the right as well as from the left.

"He will steal the municipal election in Le Havre", because the poll risks "turning into a referendum for or against the national policy" of the government, to the detriment of local issues, estimated with AFP the PCF deputy Jean- Paul Lecoq, also candidate for mayor.

But, he hoped, it could also be an opportunity for the left to "come together", while EELV and the PS, without the PCF, will make a common list.

Edouard Philippe "used Le Havre a bit as a step, it shouldn't become a trampoline either, but clearly, it's his retirement plan", tackles the ecologist Alexis Deck, elected municipal since 2014 in Le Havre and at the head of this list.

EELV MEP Yannick Jadot judges this candidacy "deeply scandalous" at a time when France is "in social and democratic burnout", and while pension reform continues on its way.

The rebellious French deputy Eric Coquerel called on the Prime Minister to "resign now since his choice is clearly to become mayor of Le Havre again".

That says "a lot about the feverishness of the Republic on the march" at the approach of the municipal elections, considers the spokesperson for the National Rally Sébastien Chenu, for whom LREM "disguises Republicans (...) or elected socialists as walkers "to compensate" a political staff not at the level ".

But Edouard Philippe rejects any attempt to "draw national lessons from the Havre elections", affirming his desire to "speak about Le Havre", leaving "the commentators" to comment.

Without specifying the outlines of his program which he describes as "ambitious", he assured in Paris-Normandy that he would lead "an intense campaign in Le Havre", while fulfilling his "obligations in Paris".

© 2020 AFP