• Three days after formalizing his candidacy for the legislative elections in Vénissieux, Taha Bouhafs announced that he was withdrawing from the campaign.

  • The Nupes representative explains his withdrawal by the “unprecedented storm of attacks” to which he was subjected.

  • This defection serves the communist candidate Michèle Picard, hence suspicions of negotiations to strengthen the PCF on its territory.

Will go?

Won't go?

Finally, Taha Bouhafs will not go to the legislative elections.

Three days after his official inauguration in the 14th district of the Rhône, the candidate of Nupes announced this Tuesday morning on Twitter that he was giving up running.

"I underestimated the power of this system when it wants to grind you down," he wrote in his statement.

“I was supported, not enough to hold on, but enough to be grateful.

[…] I tried but I can't do it anymore”, he concludes, discouraged by an “unprecedented storm of attacks”.

“A mob fought against him,” reacted Jean-Luc Mélenchon on Twitter.

“At 25, it's hard to live with death threats and daily public accusations.

I blame myself for not having been able to comfort him as much as necessary, ”wrote the leader LFI.

This defection, "a pirouette" in favor of the PCF?

At the LFI headquarters in Vénissieux, "we are dejected and scandalized", according to Gérard Médioni.

“Scandalized by the wave of hatred that swept over a candidate, solely because he has North African origins.

Far-right candidates, who are much more dangerous, did not receive the same treatment,” he laments.

Gérard Médioni now fears that “many activists are disinvesting in the campaign.

We had a candidate from diversity who represents a large part of the youth of the constituency, they could identify with his career.

For Yves Blein, outgoing LREM deputy and candidate for re-election, this defection would be “a pirouette [of LFI] to withdraw their candidate under pressure from the PCF.

I do not believe in his victim position, it is a dressing of political negotiations between LFI and PCF.

We have seen Fabien Roussel step up to the plate recently to defend Michèle Picard.

»

The latter is indeed on the front line.

"Reason prevailed," welcomed the Communist Party of Vénissieux, putting forward its candidate.

“Our constituency needs the best candidate to bring together all the populations of all our municipalities,” the PCF said in a statement.

“Michèle Picard embodies the courage of women who defend feminist and secular values.

[…] La Nupes must now recognize Michèle Picard as the candidate who can unite the entire left.

We are now waiting for his support.

»

The fear of a new abstention

While waiting to know the decision of LFI, Daniel Navrot, political scientist, confirms that “Michèle Picard has the free field on the left, now.

The problem in this constituency will be abstention, and that can play into the PCF's game, ”he continues.

“The withdrawal of Bouhafs will demotivate some voters to vote.

We will have to look at how LFI voters will confirm or not their commitment to the presidential election.

»

Our file on the 2022 legislative elections

As to whether it was too risky to send Taha Bouhafs to a constituency that already has strong personalities, Daniel Navrot tempers: "The calculation of LFI was not vis-à-vis the PCF, but to recover a constituency whose deputy is a macronist.

So a strong candidate was needed to try to win.

But where LFI made a mistake is that they underestimated the strength and reaction of the PCF in Vénissieux.

The PCF is really very rooted in this territory, with very strong characters.

They thought everyone would fold as a result of the deal.

They were wrong.

»

Contacted by

20 Minutes

, Taha Bouhafs did not respond to our interview requests.

Elections

Legislative 2022: Taha Bouhafs already out of the race in Vénissieux, LFI confirms his quick withdrawal

Policy

Legislative 2022: Dissidents and proud of it, how do they go about justifying their candidacies?

  • Elections

  • Legislative elections 2022

  • Taha Bouhafs

  • La France Insoumise (LFI)

  • French Communist Party (PCF)

  • Lyons

  • Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

  • Nudes