The new leader will take the reins of a party in crisis after the disappointing result of Yannick Jadot in the presidential election (4.6%), but also entangled in a duel between the ex-candidate and the ecofeminist deputy Sandrine Rousseau, and finally in the turmoil of accusations of psychological violence against an ex-campaign brought against outgoing national secretary Julien Bayou, who denies it.

Unsurprisingly, the 400 Congress delegates must choose Marine Tondelier, 36, little known to the general public but from the outgoing leadership of the movement, who came well ahead in the first round, on November 26, with 47% of the votes of the members.

Among the five other heads of lists, all women, only two obtained more than 10%: Sophie Bussière (18%), supported by Yannick Jadot;

Mélissa Camara (13.5%), supported by Sandrine Rousseau and part of the left wing of EELV.

On the strength of her comfortable lead, Marine Tondelier has entered into negotiations with her competitors, to secure a strong majority in the management team on Saturday.

But the future national secretary, who campaigned on the "collective" by denouncing the internal quarrels which divide the party, will not have succeeded in saving herself from internal tensions.

She hoped to table a single wrap-up motion by the time of the final vote of the 400 delegates, but might not get all the other motions around her line.

- "Pledges of solidarity" -

Melissa Camara could indeed file her own motion.

His team had emerged dissatisfied with the negotiations that had been underway for several days, in particular on the still thorny question of the distribution of the 15 posts of the executive office and on the relationship with the left-wing alliance Nupes concluded in May between LFI, EELV, the PS and the CPF.

Judging that the line was clearly chosen in the first round by the activists, Marine Tondelier has indeed posed her demands: a summary motion based on her initial motion, and without possible evolution on the question of alliances and European elections.

A blocking point for the team of Melissa Camara, who wants to fly the colors of the Nupes and advocates not to close the door to a common list of left to the Europeans of 2024.

Conversely, Marine Tondelier promises an independent EELV list to European women and, without rejecting the Nupes, wants to give priority to the creation of a "great movement of political ecology".

The Camara team also denounces the positions that have been offered to it within the executive office, and rejects the "pledges of solidarity", which Marine Tondelier asks for.

"If they want to represent the party, they cannot criticize it from the outside", explains the entourage of the future leader, who wants a "benevolent and inclusive" party.

"Divergent voices no longer have the right to express their differences," lamented Alain Coulombel, number 2 on Melissa Camara's list.

The other three motions, which could negotiate with her, should for their part rally to the new direction.

Marine Tondelier aims to rebuild EELV - whose name she wants to change - by modifying its internal rules, which are often considered complex and not conducive to the conquest of power.

The elected northerner, who defends a "popular ecology", wishes to "massify" the party, especially in the direction of rural territories and working-class neighborhoods, and bring together a million environmental sympathizers by the end of her mandate.

© 2022 AFP