The second round of regional elections in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (Paca) will take place without the left-wing union list led by Jean-Laurent Felizia.
The ecologist announced to his running mates, Monday, June 21, the day after the first round, the withdrawal from his list, giving way to a duel between the National Rally and The Republicans.
This withdrawal, revealed by the daily La Marseillaise, was confirmed to AFP by Jean-Pierre Cervantes, leader in the Vaucluse, and Anthony Gonçalves, 4th in the Bouches-du-Rhône, as well as by the local manager of one of the parties supporting this list of union of the left.
Coming third in the first round with 16.89% of the vote, Jean-Laurent Felizia first said that he did not intend to retire in the second round to line up behind the list on the right and thus block the National Rally, in despite appeals from the main leaders of EELV and the PS.
"I solemnly call for the withdrawal of the list led by Jean-Laurent Felizia. No risk can be taken against the extreme right," had hammered Olivier Faure, the Socialist First Secretary, on Twitter Sunday.
"The Parisian staffs are sometimes disconnected from the reality on the ground. It is a collective decision that we assume", retorted on the social network the head of the list Ecological and social gathering in Paca.
The situation finally changed on Monday afternoon.
Jean-Laurent Felizia withdrew, leaving the second round to be reduced to a duel between the outgoing president, Renaud Muselier (LR), and Thierry Mariani (RN).
The former obtained 31.91% of the vote in the first round.
Thierry Mariani won 36.38% of the vote.
With AFP
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