Poitiers (AFP)

A presidential meeting before the hour for one, a methodical and introspective presentation for the other: the style opposition between the two favorites in the environmentalist primary, Yannick Jadot and Eric Piolle, erupted Thursday evening on the big stage summer days for environmentalists in Poitiers.

By chance of the draw, the "carte blanche" appointments granted to the two most media-rich candidates of the September primary followed one another.

Under a blazing sun, the mayor of Grenoble Eric Piolle opened the ball by delivering a speech focused on his career, his methods and the reasons which pushed him, four years ago, to embark on the construction of his candidacy for the Elysée in 2022.

As a good "engineer who is used to building strategies and making them readable", he praised the many trips made over the past year to weave his militant networks among the political, associative and intellectual spheres.

Symbol of this organization on the line, the "Jeunes pour Piolle", identifiable by their placards "JPP: I can't get enough of the melting ice", were cleverly dispersed among the thousand people installed in the amphitheater.

After having cried twice during his speech the day before in front of his supporters, Eric Piolle continued Thursday to dig the intimate, modest and introspective furrow.

"I get my energy from contact with people. You will never see me set 10,000 people on fire with a speech of an hour and a half, I am not of that charisma. But I can work for a long, very long time, without typing. in the red. (...) I trained, I know that I can last. I set a course, until 2032 my life project is that ".

Eric Piolle, one of the two favorites at the ecologist primary at the Ecologists Summer Days in Poitiers on August 19, 2021 MEHDI FEDOUACH AFP

2032, ie the end of his second term as President of the Republic if he was nominated by environmentalists as candidate and then by the French as Head of State in April 2022, an admission characteristic of the ambition assumed by this "Basquo- Béarnais ".

After a half-hour speech, he left the same duration for the audience's questions, claiming to prefer them to "a two-hour Castro speech".

- Flights -

The intervention of Yannick Jadot, arrived on the cover of "It's a wonderful world" by the Ramones, decided on the form.

The MEP, more seasoned on the national scene after his success as head of the list in the 2019 European elections, used most of his allotted time in a speech that looked like a presidential meeting.

He seemed to give pledges to the most demanding social and societal activists by speaking at length about the reception of Afghan refugees, the "macronist and liberal regression", the legalization of cannabis and the strengthening of the State. providence.

And he explained his decision, brocade at EELV, to participate in the police demonstration in front of the National Assembly last spring.

“I know that many of you were shocked by my presence. This demonstration was not comfortable, but basically I do not regret my decision. If we want to rule there will be no comfort. I met said to me: + Don't leave us alone with the RN +. "

With his powerful voice, contrasting with the calm tone of Eric Piolle, Yannick Jadot also produced some lyrical flights: "Let us not forget that we defend the beautiful in each of us, in nature, the harmony of humans with the nature, that's ecology, it's a positive vision of society and of the human person. "

With the applaudimeter and the filling of the amphitheater, impossible to decide between the two men.

Friday, it is as outsiders that the former number 2 of EELV Sandrine Rousseau, the entrepreneur Jean-Marc Governatori and the deputy Delphine Batho will advance on the scene.

© 2021 AFP