Michaël Delafosse and Carolie Mantion, united around ecology. - Jérôme Diesnis / Maxele Presse Agency

  • The Greens, who came sixth in the first round of municipal elections in Montpellier, have joined Michaël Delafosse's (PS) left union list.
  • Three other lists eliminated in the first round (carried by Rémi Gaillard, Alenka Doulain and Clotilde Ollier) decided to jointly initiate discussions with the candidates qualified for the second round. They met Mohed Altrad and then Michaël Delafosse, whom they will see again this Friday.
  • Only 3,000 votes separated the three candidates qualified for the second round (Philippe Saurel, Michaël Delafosse and Mohed Altrad).

Defeated in the first round of the municipal elections, the Greens announced their support for the socialist Michaël Delafosse. The leader of the PS in Montpellier is at the head of a union list of the left, who came second in the first round of the municipal elections in the prefecture of Hérault. “There are points of divergence but many points of convergence. Our approach was simple. We looked at the program that came closest to ours, details Coralie Mantion, head of the EELV list arriving sixth in the first round (7.42%). We started to discuss a new joint project that we wanted to present to the people of Montpellier. To make Montpellier greener and more resilient, a city on a human scale ”.

"We both campaigned on ideas and values," confirms Michaël Delafosse, who is the first challenger to the outgoing mayor, Philippe Saurel (DVG). Three lists managed to exceed the 10% mark of votes cast in the first round of municipal elections on March 15. They are in the running on June 28, for the second. The outgoing mayor Philippe Saurel (DVG) came out on top, but weakened (19.11%). He is closely followed by Michaël Delafosse (16.66%) and by the business manager (DIV) Mohed Altrad (13.30%).

Five lists with the ability to merge

Only 3,000 votes separate the three candidates after a disrupted first round, as everywhere in France, by a strong abstention (34.61% of voters) in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic. It is as much his ability to form a union as the behavior of the abstainers, which will determine the identity of the future mayor. "To straighten the city, they must stop bulging their chest and talk to each other," said Patrick Vignal (LREM), one of the five defeated in the position to merge (those who obtained between 5 and 9.99% of the vote) by June 2, date for the closing of the deposit of lists in the second round.

In addition to that of Vignal and Mantion, the Doulain (DVG), Ollier (ECO) and Gaillard (DIV) lists can also play a role. They together weigh 26.08% of the votes in the first round (ie 13,530 votes): they decided to present a common platform. Seven ideas presented to Mohed Altrad, then Michaël Delafosse. “My approach has always been to bring people together. I have read the seven points, they appear in our program. My door is wide open, underlines the socialist candidate. I am a man of dialogue, listening and conviction. I wish to gather. We need all the good will ”.

We Are Accepting Discussion With Mohed Altrad, La France Insoumise Chokes

For the moment, the three defeated in the first round have not met Philippe Saurel, but do not exclude him. "The discussion, yes, the corridor arrangements, no," said Nous Sommes (Alenka Doulain).

(1/2) Progress report "We are anyone and we have ecology in common" before meeting the candidate of the socialist party. We met the unlabeled one and presented our 7 emergency measures for Montpellier, they were received with interest. pic.twitter.com/ARaV2mdwrq

- Alenka Doulain (@AlenkaDoulain) May 28, 2020

The Confluence movement, support of Clotilde Ollier, essentially made up of a member of La France insoumise, almost choked on learning that these three candidates, including the one he had supported in the first round, could leave the door open to Philippe Saurel or Mohed Altrad… “It is out of the question to initiate any dialogue or any negotiations with the list led by the macronist and gravedigger of our city Philippe Saurel, or to discuss to build a list" Merci Patron "with the billionaire Altrad. How is it possible to write that we can consider "co-managing the city" ", indignant Confluence.

Left, strong reservoir of voices and strong dissentions

The voice reservoir seems favorable to Delafosse. But the addition to the left is far from mathematical. La France Insoumise tore the whole campaign between Doulain and Ollier… from whom the Greens withdrew the nomination before attacking it in justice. Can so much bitterness accumulated disappear as if by magic to the point of finding them on the same list in the second round?

"Of course, if they find themselves in our project, they will be welcome," explains Coralie Mantion. I like to draw a parallel with the French football team in 1998. Not all the players were necessarily friends, but they still won. We are professional, we don't have to be friends, but when we have the same goal, we come together ”. It remains to be seen how voters will react to these possible reconciliations.

Montpellier

Municipal elections in Montpellier: Saurel, Delafosse and Altrad in the second round

Municipal

Municipal elections in Montpellier: At 3.83%, the LR candidate leaves politics “definitively”

  • PS
  • Philippe Saurel
  • Elections
  • Municipal
  • Languedoc-Roussillon
  • Montpellier
  • Mohed Altrad