Paris (AFP)

The Socialists consolidated their positions on Sunday in their strongholds, notably in Paris where Anne Hidalgo triumphs, but their victories are partly overshadowed by the successes of the Greens in the big cities of the country.

Lyon, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Marseille ... all passed on Sunday evening from the right to the hands of the Greens, thanks to the alliances woven between EELV, the PS or the PCF.

For its part, the PS consolidates its positions in Paris, Nantes, Rennes, Lille, Villeurbanne, Dijon, Le Mans, Bourges or Nancy and Montpellier. Here too, the alliance on the left was the winning formula, paving the way for "a social-ecological block", according to PS boss Olivier Faure.

"A huge momentum is rising all over France," he said. "The whole left and environmentalists are winning tremendous victories. This is what is happening, we have in this country something that is being born, a social-ecological block which must now be consolidated".

Ardent supporter of the union on the left, he believes that in 2022 the whole left will have to support the candidate best placed to win the presidential election. "It can be a socialist, it can be an environmentalist," he said.

Socialists have been saying it over and over for several weeks: the Greens cannot win without them. However, it was difficult on Sunday evening to say whether they could have won as many cities by going into battle alone. A priori, it seems that it is the alliance with the PS and the PCF (almost everywhere), and sometimes with LFI that allowed them to garner so much success.

In Lille, where the alliance of the PS and the Greens could not be concluded, the outgoing mayor PS Martine Aubry, who was seeking a 4th term, narrowly prevailed before the EELV candidate Stéphane Baly (less than 230 votes d 'difference).

- "First step around 2022" -

Until now, the Greens were in control of only one city, Grenoble, conquered in 2014, and were more used to playing the back-up of the socialists than the reverse.

Their unprecedented breakthrough, in a context of record abstention, could reshuffle the cards in the camp of the left.

It "should not make us forget the good socialist behavior, always the first party on the left," said Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, however.

In Paris, the outgoing mayor benefited from the rallying of the EELV candidate, David Belliard, whose list had just crossed the 10% mark in the first round. Ms. Hidalgo led a resolutely ecological campaign there.

For Benjamin Lucas, spokesperson for Generations, "something is happening this evening in the country. A new democratic breathing is possible with the environmentalists and the left for the climate and social justice. Let us be up to par, let us prepare the rally together for change in 2022, "he tweeted.

For Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the PCF, who lost his historic stronghold of Saint-Denis in favor of the socialist Mathieu Hanotin, "a turning point is taken for more social justice and more ecology. Even if abstention reaches a record, the signal sent to the President of the Republic and his majority, is clear: the French do not want his policy in their city, nor in the country. "

"This is the first great victory of the left in eight years" and the victory of François Hollande in the presidential election of 2012, welcomed Pierre Jouvet, spokesman for the PS. "The challenge today is not to know who the Greens or the socialists have won. We have proven that together, we are capable of raising hope."

"What we have done with this election is the line built for two years with Olivier Faure, whose strategy is the right one. It must be the first step in the reconstruction of a left capable of winning in 2022", he added.

npk / oaa / cbn

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