INTERVIEW
The BVA institute, in collaboration with Europe 1 and Orange, has published the first part of its study on municipal elections 2020 focusing on the challenges of the election and the priorities of the French. The main lesson of this poll is the interest expressed by voters in municipal elections, as opposed to the idea of a lack of public interest in politics.
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"In politics, we talk [often] of distrust, distrust, distance," said Edouard Lecerf, deputy managing director of BVA, guest of Europe 1 on Thursday. However, 71% of French people say they are satisfied with the work of their mayor. A figure that would make any policy pale with envy. This result shows in any case the attachment of the French to local roots. "This is where things can happen, where we can see things happen concretely".
Primacy of local issues
This interest in local issues can also be seen thanks to another indicator: 14% of French people say they are ready to get into politics for a municipal election. "14% is huge!" Says Edouard Lecerf. At a time when the function of mayor is undergoing a "vocations crisis", it is interesting to note that the French have the feeling that getting into politics first comes from the local level.
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Finally, the study notes the primacy of local issues over national issues. The themes on which the French judge the results and the candidates' proposals are specific. If they are not completely out of touch with the concerns at the national level, they generally have a particular angle. For example, "local finance is another way of talking about purchasing power," says Edouard Lecerf. "It's a way of saying 'what do we do with my local taxes'."