Perpignan (AFP)

Perpignan, the biggest municipal catch for the National Rally? It is the bet of the deputy Louis Aliot against the outgoing mayor LR, who, as in 2014, opposes him a republican front, but weakened by a mixed balance sheet.

In this city of 120,000 inhabitants (200,000 for the agglomeration), the outcome of the duel is uncertain, even if the Lepéniste candidate, 50, considers himself in a position of strength: in March, he garnered 35.6% against only 18% for the outgoing mayor, Jean-Marc Pujol, 71 years old.

As in 2014, Mr. Pujol can claim to lead a republican front, after the withdrawal of the ecologist Agnès Langevine (EELV-PS, 14.5%) and the LREM deputy Romain Grau (13%).

But if they called to block the RN, it was without pronouncing the name of "Pujol" whose results they denounced, in a city plagued by unemployment and poverty.

"This election is still completely undecided. Will Pujol manage to mobilize on the roadblock against Louis Aliot? Will Louis Aliot manage to mobilize on the rejection of the mayor? Participation will be the key to the ballot. Whoever will bring the citizens at the polls will have won, "says Nicolas Lebourg, coordinator of the Citizenship Chair at Sciences-Po Saint-Germain-en-Laye and specialist on the far right.

- Breaches in the forehead -

In the first leg in 2014, Jean-Marc Pujol had beaten Louis Aliot in the second round with 55% against 45%, benefiting from the withdrawal of the socialist candidate after a 1st round where he had almost made an equal match with Mr. Aliot.

For Nicolas Lebourg, Louis Aliot would have achieved a better score in March, "closer to 40%" if he had not been served by strong abstention (40%).

According to MP RN, the carry-over will not be as massive as six years ago. After Mr. Grau's withdrawal, two of his running mate have already announced that they support Louis Aliot.

Former deputy of Mr. Pujol and ex-treasurer of the Republicans in the Pyrénées-Orientales, Olivier Amiel (3.5% in the first round) refused to join the Republican front.

Mr. Pujol, for his part, made neither concessions, nor merger, nor sent a signal to the electorate of Mrs. Langevine or Mr. Grau.

If, after the opposition of the 1st round, "there are negotiations, it is perceived by the voters as political shenanigans", justifies this lawyer, mayor since 2009.

"I continue to think that I can beat the candidate of the National Rally (...) My political space is greater than that of the RN", he pleads.

- Worry -

This pugnacious pied-noir centers his attacks on the lack of "commitment" and "competence" of his rival, of which he points out "regular absences from the municipal council", and "ignorance of the files".

"If Jean-Marc Pujol loses, he will take responsibility for the victory" of the RN, warns Agnès Langevine, who tripled the score of her movement in March.

"I fear the worst on June 28. When we are judged in the first round, it is difficult to create a dynamic," said the former mayor of center-right Jean-Paul Alduy (1993-2009).

For Nicolas Lebourg, Louis Aliot, who is running for the town hall for the fourth time, has succeeded in "gaining independence from the RN brand, to create an Aliot brand, which is not scary".

No support displayed by Marine Le Pen, his ex-partner, no RN logo on his campaign material: Louis Aliot, who presents himself without a label, polished his image, as he had done for the profile of his left.

This did not prevent Jean-Marie Le Pen, of which he was the chief of staff from 1999 to 2010, from supporting him on May 28.

"I did not ask him to support me, it is he who does it on his own. It seems to me that his fights for the army or French Algeria do not leave some insensitive" a reacted the candidate to the regional daily newspaper the Independent.

In March at the national level, "the FN did not make a significant progress, nor created any surprise. The victory of Aliot, it is a major stake for the RN", estimates Nicolas Lebourg.

© 2020 AFP