All behind the same table, the various executives and activists of the Marseille left present themselves, and congratulate each other.

The start of the campaign is launched in this small bar in La Plaine, a festive district in the center of Marseille rather anchored on the left.

As she speaks, Pauline Tournier lets go: “I am a substitute candidate in the fourth… Uh sorry!

The fifth constituency!

Laughter runs through the room.

"You almost wrote down information," Mohamed Bensaada, candidate in the third constituency, smiles at the journalists present.

Relax!

»

It must be said that this fourth constituency of Bouches-du-Rhône has been attracting all eyes for a few days... and all questions.

And for good reason: it is the one that propelled Jean-Luc Mélenchon to the National Assembly, in 2017. However, for several weeks, the former candidate for the presidential election has cast doubt on a new candidacy for the legislative elections in Marseilles.

Asked about the subject this Sunday, Jean-Luc Mélenchon affirmed that he was preparing "rather for the idea of ​​being Prime Minister than for the idea of ​​being a new deputy".

"He doesn't say a clear no"

"He says 95% no, and not a clear no, it's a bit weird", plague a Marseille activist close to LFI.

What fate will be reserved for this symbolic constituency, and does it seem winnable from the first round?

The vagueness reigns, including for local executives.

“The exhaustive list of candidates will be presented at an event this Thursday, including the fourth constituency,” believes Mohamed Bensaada, who suggests as an aside that he himself does not know what form this will take.

"It will be a press conference or maybe a meeting," he says.

We do not know.

The mapping of candidates is clear.

It is only in the fourth constituency that we do not know.

»

“I was not aware of this event on Thursday, I learned it just now,” confided after the press conference Hendrik Davi, Nupes candidate in the neighboring constituency of Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

And to admit: “Frankly no one knows what Mélenchon will do.

“There is currently a little game being played around the fourth constituency which aims to destabilize everyone, believes a socialist activist from Marseille.

It's a bit like right now, in a cycle race, where everyone is looking at each other while waiting to find out who leaves first.

It prevents our opponents from preparing better.

LREM has not yet invested a candidate in this constituency either.

Bompard parachute drop

But some locally are already positioning themselves to recover the vacant deputy seat of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, like Kévin Vacher.

A figure in the fight against poor housing and the Noailles en Colère citizen collective created after the collapses of the rue d'Aubagne, this Marseille activist close to left-wing circles has already said that he would go to the polls, and is seeking the nomination of Nupes in the fourth constituency.

According to our information, Kévin Vacher was negotiating directly with Manuel Bompard last week, arguing a local and field candidacy, before contact was broken at the start of the week.

“It's starting to get drunk, we get annoyed in the entourage of Kévin Vacher.

We can't get Bompard and we are still waiting.

It is a lack of respect for activists in the field who would like to have leaflets with the face of a candidate.

For the moment, we only have leaflets with the head of Jean-Luc Mélenchon… ”

It must be said that, among the executives of this union of the left, a completely different scenario seems to be emerging: that of the parachuting of the same Manuel Bompard in the famous fourth district.

“For the legislative elections, there is no place for collective citizens, believes Sébastien Barles, Marseille EELV executive and deputy mayor.

We will have to work for the next deadlines, especially local ones, to create this broader set.

“A choice that could annoy some, according to this Marseille socialist.

“Activists around me told me that if it was Bompard, and not Mélenchon, they would not campaign.

»

Policy

Legislative 2022: Marine Le Pen launches her campaign by attacking the "king's fool" Mélenchon

Elections

Legislative 2022: "An Everything but Mélenchon is being built", according to Jean-Christophe Cambadélis

  • Jean-Luc Melenchon

  • Legislative elections 2022

  • Marseilles

  • Paca