REPORT
French presidential election: Jean-Luc Mélenchon wants to stay "motivated" before the first round
Audio 01:16
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the candidate of La France Insoumise, during his meeting at Place du Capitole, in Toulouse, Sunday April 3.
AFP - LIONEL BONAVENTURE
Text by: RFI Follow
3 mins
A week before the first round of the presidential election, the candidate of the radical left was at a meeting in Toulouse this Sunday.
He worried about the future of the country in the event of a Macron-Le Pen second round, while continuing to believe in his chances of qualification.
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The singers Mouss & Hakim sing the song
Motivés
, their famous cover of the
Chant des partisans
.
With their group, Les Motivés, the two brothers had begun to warm up the 25,000 activists, chilled by the cold, on Place du Capitole, in Toulouse.
Staying motivated even in the face of discouraging polls is precisely what the supporters of Jean-Luc Mélenchon are trying to do.
“
It's complicated, but there are seven days left.
I want to believe it,
confides Thierry at the microphone of our special correspondent in Toulouse,
Aurélien Devernoix
.
In any case, we, as Insoumis, we do our best to make it happen.
And if we win, it will be even more
.
► Also to listen: The battle of the useful vote
In third position around 15%, Jean-Luc Mélenchon has been hammering for several weeks the argument of “
effective voting
” to qualify the left in the second round.
He persevered on Sunday, on a stage placed just in front of the town hall.
“
Whatever you think of the People's Union or me, or these stupid conversations about my character, the country is in a state of emergency
”.
Trust in “intelligence”
But at the podium and almost for the first time, Jean-Luc Mélenchon is considering defeat.
“
There are generations of my young comrades who now have compasses for the future whatever happens.
The danger is however immense according to the candidate.
“
There is the danger of a great eclipse of debate if you find in the second round Mrs. Le Pen or even Mr. Zemmour in front of Mr. Macron.
»
While the Macronists play in his eyes on the "panic" of the French at the idea of a victory for Marine Le Pen, the Insoumis, he assured to trust "
intelligence
".
To the most undecided, he proposed a “
compromise with the Common Future.
What's in it that keeps you from living
?
»
Yesterday at Mr. Macron's meeting, things started with a bit of pyrotechnics.
Then it was a canard festival.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon castigates the lies of Emmanuel Macron
Aurelien Devernoix
To strengthen the mobilization of the "
effective
" vote, Jean-Luc Mélenchon mocked those ahead of him, in particular Emmanuel Macron, who held his only and large meeting on Saturday at the Arena de La Défense.
Triggering waves of disapproval in the crowd, the rebellious candidate spoke for several minutes of the record employment by the outgoing president, according to the Senate, of consulting firms.
And in particular McKinsey, suspected of tax evasion.
Above all, there is no resignation, defends the Mélenchon camp, which estimates that 30 to 40% of voters have not yet made their choice.
This is also the case of Romain, who came to form an opinion.
He will choose his candidate rather “
in the middle of the week, next weekend
”.
"
But I quite liked the themes he covered, especially on the environment and the question of water
," he says.
Hope therefore remains in Jean-Luc Mélenchon's teams, even if during the last presidential election, the polls one week before the ballot announced the final result almost exactly.
(
And with
AFP)
... © FMM Graphic Studio
Twelve candidates are in the running for the 2022 French presidential election. © FMM graphic studio
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France
French politics
Presidential France 2022
Jean-Luc Melenchon