- Grenoble, the first city of more than 150,000 inhabitants headed by environmentalists, can it remain in the hands of EELV?
- Eric Piolle, the outgoing mayor, remains a favorite even if he has to face the return of Alain Carignon, former mayor of the city.
With less than two months to go before the municipal elections, is Grenoble, the largest city in France run by environmentalists, already promised to outgoing mayor Eric Piolle? The only survey concerning the capital of Isère dating from October, suggested a large advance of the candidate EELV in the first round. Credited with 32% of the voting intentions, the elected official, who received the support of the national bodies of Insoumise France, posted 12 points more than Alain Carignon (DVD, 20%) and 14 points more than Emilie Chalas (LREM, 18%). Much more than the 29.4% harvested in the first round in March 2014.
Since then, the scores of the various green candidates, hired in the main cities of France, have soared. What comfort the outgoing mayor who could ride the trend without even having to defend his record in terms of security and economy, judged in half-tone. Its Achilles heel will advance some observers for this, relying on the recent Ifrap list of best managed cities in France. A ranking in which Grenoble, with a high tax rate and ONE annual debt of 3,712 euros per inhabitant, appears at the bottom of the ranking (18th position out of 20).
Carignon assumes its past
“Grenoble is on the verge of bankruptcy. It has become the first city in France with more than 100,000 inhabitants in terms of debt ”, underlined Alain Carignon during the municipal council of December 16. At 70, the former mayor of the city has carefully prepared his return to politics after a long crossing of the desert. Various right candidate, he managed to thwart the prognoses over the weeks, positioning himself now as the main opponent of Eric Piolle, which he does not fail to scratch.
Twenty-five years after being forced to resign from the town hall, the one who "gives his last fight" has nothing to lose. He does not fear polls, nor his past. Sentenced to five years' imprisonment and five years of ineligibility for "corruption and the use of forgery" in 1996, he now repeats with desire that he "paid for his faults". He assumes his 29 months spent behind bars without thinking that voters can be scalded. The Republicans hardly seem to be. Traveling to Grenoble at the end of January, Christian Jacob, national president of the movement, unambiguously called to vote Carignon, who however did not ask for the nomination.
The PS and LREM for an alternative
To offer a "real alternative" to the duel announced between Eric Piolle and Alain Carignon, Olivier Noblecourt embarked on the mayoral race in December under the PS-MRC-PRG label. Former deputy of the socialist mayor Michel Destot, he left his functions as interministerial delegate for the prevention and the fight against poverty to devote himself fully to the campaign and convince the "disappointed" of Eric Piolle. Emilie Chalas (LREM-Modem) tried to reach out to him to rally him to his cause, believing that they had "vocation to (reunite)". In vain. The two candidates will travel separately, at least for the first round.
Finally Mireille d'Ornano (member of the Patriotes - list "without label") also declared herself a candidate like Damien Berthélémy (National Rally).
municipal
Municipal 2020 in Grenoble: The left (almost) united behind the outgoing Eric Piolle
Elections
Municipal in Grenoble: can Alain Carignon really return to the town hall?
- Grenoble
- Eric Piolle
- EELV
- municipal