- Strategy or constraint linked to his knee operation under general anesthesia: Philippe Saurel's campaign will be extremely short.
- For political scientist Michel Crespy, who favors a strategy, "wasting time when we have a very weak base and an electorate to conquer is a very risky strategic option".
The outgoing mayor Philippe Saurel (DVG) announced his candidacy in Montpellier on Wednesday. If it will have the advantage of being based on a balance sheet and will be able to benefit from the traditional outgoing bonus, such a late entry into the campaign, eight days before the deadline for submission of applications to the prefecture, is a unique case in France for a city of this importance.
"Personal constraints forced me to come back late to this campaign," explains Philippe Saurel, operated on his knee under general anesthesia at the start of the year. Some people thought that I was playing the watch but after an intervention like that (…) we are not sure of the post-operative consequences. The least of honesty towards the people of Montpellier, was not to get involved until I was physically sure I could take on a campaign. "
Constraint or strategy?
Michel Crespy is one of them. The political scientist thinks it is a strategy. "I am not a doctor, but it seems to me that it was not an entirely unexpected operation. He already had knee pain six years ago. He fixed the operation date based on his medical records, no doubt, but also on the agenda he had decided. Philippe Saurel assures that the pain had become too strong to delay further surgery.
Whether deliberate or not, this late entry into the campaign is very risky, according to the political scientist. “Campaigns can change a lot because opinion is very unstable at the moment. People are more sensitive to projects than to reviews. And I think he was already leaving with a disability. In the polls, he is credited with 22-23% of the voting intentions, which is very low for an outgoing mayor. It would have been better to whip to conquer a part of the opinion that would have escaped him. Losing time when you have a very weak base and an electorate to conquer is a very risky strategic option. "
No debate but direct meetings with the inhabitants before the first round
"A lot of people among the candidates were unknown to the population," continues Michel Crespy. People know them much better because Philippe Saurel has given them the space they need to make themselves known. The mayor of Montpellier presented his program yesterday for an hour and a half. It will be one of the few media meetings before the first round (March 15).
By refusing to participate in debates before the first round, he positioned himself above the fray. "I am approached by academics, associations, the media ... Participating in debates is a matter of self. All Montpellier residents will receive my program in their mailbox. I will lead these three weeks live with the locals, meet them, chat with them. When we want to be elected from a city, we go to meet the locals. We do not have to promote ourselves with other leaders of the candidate teams. "
Philippe Saurel will conduct his only campaign meeting on Thursday March 12 in the old town hall, Salle Pagézy.
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- municipal
- Philippe Saurel
- Elections
- Montpellier
- Languedoc-Roussillon