REPORTAGE
Prime Minister Édouard Philippe was in Le Havre Thursday evening, where he is a candidate for the mayor's chair. It was his first meeting after using 49.3 to push through the controversial pension reform. Given favorite in a recent poll, before the Communist and environmentalist candidates, the Prime Minister is waging a difficult campaign. The national politics invites itself in its campaign, and its permanence was recently tagged. "Thank you for braving the cold rain and the demonstrators who were sometimes a little warm," he said at the start of his speech.
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An argument for the opposition
Indeed, a few meters from the room, opponents demonstrated against the pension reform and the use of 49.3. A real campaign argument for the opposition. "People tell us: 'you have a responsibility in Le Havre, it is you who must punish the Prime Minister'," explains the communist Jean-Paul Lecoq, the main opponent of the outgoing mayor.
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Édouard Philippe does everything to remove this hat from the head of government. He spoke of Le Havre, nothing but Le Havre, and called his troops to mobilize. "On March 15 and 22, you choose your mayor. It is you who take this responsibility. It is not those who do not agree, and who have every right to say it on the street in protester, it is those who are going to vote, "he launched to those present.
Worried activists
The message was received five out of five by LREM activists, who do not hide their concerns. "Announcing 49.3 on the sly on a Saturday is not going to benefit him," said an activist. "It will work, but it will not pass as in 2014". "It is certain that we are a little worried, it is a real challenge this election", confesses a woman present at the meeting. "It will undoubtedly be tighter than the last time but I think that it will pass relatively easily anyway," concludes a supporter, confident.
Édouard Philippe is certainly ahead in the polls but one of his relatives is formal: "He knows that an election is never won in advance".
Applicants in Le Havre:
Edouard Philippe, LREM
Jean Paul Lecoq, PCF
Alexis Deck, EELV
Frédéric Groussard, RN
Magali Cauchois, Workers' Struggle
Béatrice Canel-Depitre, Animalist Party
Guillaume Milert, citizen list