Europe 1 with AFP 5:09 p.m., May 16, 2022
After the investiture of Idir Boumertit, LFI candidate invested by Nupes, the mayor of Vénissieux Michèle Picard officially withdrew her candidacy for the legislative elections on Monday.
The communist mayor, who hoped to be invested after the withdrawal of the controversial candidacy of Taha Bouhafs, announced that she would prioritize her work in Vénissieux.
The PCF mayor of Vénissieux, Michèle Picard, officially withdrew her candidacy for the legislative elections on Monday.
Fading away in the name of the fight "against the right and the far right", the withdrawal of the communist mayor will benefit the new Nupes candidate designated after Taha Bouhafs, accused of sexual violence.
Initially invested by LFI, the militant journalist withdrew his candidacy on Tuesday, denouncing "unprecedented" attacks.
The next day, LFI announced the opening of an internal investigation after accusations of sexual violence against him.
In the 14th constituency of the Rhône, the candidate of the New Popular Ecological and Social Union Nupes will ultimately be the Insoumis Idir Boumertit, 4th deputy PCF town hall and former campaign director of Taha Bouhafs.
A hope of being invested as a candidate for the Nupes
Also vice-president of the Metropolis of Lyon, Michèle Picard, supported by the communist leader Fabien Roussel, hoped to replace Taha Bouhafs as the candidate of Nupes.
But his hope was quickly dashed.
“At the announcement of a mediatized and divisive parachuting, which can only divide, we had decided to maintain our candidacy, the most effective in beating the right and the far right”, recalled Michèle Picard in a press release on Monday.
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"The legitimate candidacy of a woman, a committed, combative PCF mayor, seems to pose a problem for Jean-Luc Mélenchon", but "in this situation of division on the left and despite the very many support expressed this weekend, I choose to preserve and continue the work in Vénissieux and in the Metropolis", explains the mayor of one of the last bastions of municipal communism.
"This is why, with Guillaume Dumoulin, we are withdrawing our candidacy (...). Idir Boumertit will therefore be the candidate of Nupes", concludes Michèle Picard.
During the last presidential election in Vénissieux, Jean-Luc Mélenchon came out on top in the first round with 48.78% of the vote, ahead of Emmanuel Macron (17.97%) and Marine Le Pen (15.33%), Fabien Roussel collecting 3.45%.