Presidential: Anne Hidalgo invested by the Socialist Party

Europe 1 with AFP 6:28 am, October 15, 2021

She will defend the colors of the PS in the presidential election of 2022. Anne Hidalgo was invested Thursday evening by the Socialist Party for the presidential election, prelude to a "collective mobilization" around the mayor of Paris to try to relaunch a campaign that is struggling to take off.

According to results covering more than 90% of the ballots counted, Anne Hidalgo, who was widely favorite, obtained more than 72% of the votes against her only challenger, the mayor of Le Mans Stéphane le Foll, announced the first secretary Olivier Faure. .

"I wear the colors of a government left"

"Everyone mobilized to prepare the alternation, let's go, let's go," said Anne Hidalgo, in front of several dozen activists and supporters, such as the president of the department of Seine-Saint-Denis Stéphane Troussel or the Paris senator Rémi Féraud, gathered in a brasserie in the twentieth arrondissement of the capital. "I measure the responsibility incumbent on me", said the Parisian councilor, saying "proud and honored to wear the colors of our party". "I wear the colors of a left of government", "which assumes the exercise of power and responsibilities," she added.

Credited by the polls of 4 to 7% of the vote, Anne Hidalgo was engaged in the battle for 2022 without waiting for this nomination, which she knew almost acquired since she has for months the support of the authorities of the party, including Olivier Faure.

During the recent PS congress, the latter also judged that the candidate would "probably have a very large majority".

Hailing the "quiet strength" of Anne Hidalgo, the latter recognized that the campaign would be "difficult" and that "nobody wants our victory", but "we will accompany you", he assured.

A first meeting to sound "collective mobilization"

Stéphane Le Foll was under no illusions: "The mass is said", he admitted, denouncing the lack of debate with the mayor of Paris, whose project he considers "incoherent" and "undefined". Anne Hidalgo invited him to join her in the campaign, because "his political family needs him and his commitment". The party is now in order of battle behind its candidate, with an investiture convention on October 23 in Lille, stronghold of Martine Aubry, her political mentor.

The opportunity for a first meeting to ring "collective mobilization", with some heavyweights of the PS announced.

But without François Lamy, ex-minister of François Hollande, who has just announced that he is joining the campaign of Yannick Jadot, a direct competitor.

Lille will "bring together the different generations of the socialist family", assures its campaign manager, Johanna Rolland.