"Politically, everything pushes me to go back", but "personally, the decision is more complex", between a "burnout at the end of 2019" and the resolution of "not to become a political professional", explains the elected official. 49, in a post posted on Twitter.
Mr. Orphelin lists the "fights won and lost" in five years: end of hydrocarbon production voted in 2017, even insufficient climate law, extension of the energy check, bicycle plan... but no climate ISF, eco-conditionality of business aid or recognition of the blank vote.
He is desperate to see "ecologists and left-wing parties embark on fratricidal wars in 2022 and would rather lose alone than win together".
And judges that it is necessary "to refound the place of ecology in politics".
But he feels the need and "the desire to (re) recharge his batteries, to (regenerate) himself, to lead (his) battles differently".
At the end of November, Mr. Orphelin had been "withdrawn from his responsibilities" as spokesperson in the presidential campaign of environmentalists, in particular against a backdrop of strategic disagreements.
Elected for the first time as a deputy in June 2017 under the LREM label, this former close friend of Nicolas Hulot had left the majority group in February 2019, citing in particular insufficient progress on "climate, ecological and social issues".
He had often expressed a dissonant voice, refusing to be the "green surety" of the majority.
The deputy then founded and co-directed in 2020 the Ecology Democracy Solidarity group in the Assembly.
Last year for the regional elections, Mr. Orphelin had led an EELV-PS list in Pays-de-la-Loire, which came second (34.9% of the vote) behind the outgoing president of the region, Christelle Morançais (LR ).
This trained engineer, who made a career at the Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe), remains a regional opposition adviser.
© 2022 AFP