Elected at the head of Europe Ecology-The Greens, Marine Tondelier wants to "change everything"

At 36, Marine Tondelier succeeds Julien Bayou at the head of the ecologist party.

AFP - EMMANUEL DUNAND

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Widely elected at the head of the environmentalist party, the municipal councilor of Hénin-Beaumont (Pas-de-Calais), 36, wants to make EELV a more unifying party.

Advertising

Read more

The summary motion presented by Marine Tondelier, which brings together her other competitors, was adopted by 90.8% of the votes at a European Ecology-The Greens congress in Rungis.

Against all predictions, the new national secretary of EELV has just accomplished the feat of bringing together in its majority the sworn enemies within the ecologists, Sandrine Rousseau and Yannick Jadot.

After hesitating for a long time, the Rousseau line therefore accepted the outstretched hand, thanks to some assurances given on the maintenance of ecologists within the Union of the Left.

"

In the final text, it is still a question of the gathering of the left and the opening of electoral strategies on the left, which was important for us

", indicates the activist from the North Mélissa Camara, who led this line during the congress. .

Yannick Jadot meanwhile obtained the certainty of an independent environmentalist list in the European elections.

But the former presidential candidate barely hides his resentment against Camp Rousseau.

It did not escape you that during the presidential campaign, I was sometimes a little parasitized by dissonant voices.

I don't think it helped at that time

, ”the MEP still ruminates.

Big ambitions

Thanks to her large victory, Marine Tondelier intends to " 

refound 

" and " 

massify

 " the party, weakened by these internal divisions, the pitiful result of their presidential candidate Yannick Jadot, and "the affair" Julien Bayou, accused of psychological violence .

We have to change everything, because it's our last chance to create a big green party

 ", repeats the elected official, who wants to make it " 

simpler and more unifying

 " than Europe Ecology-The Greens, a name that is too vague and complicated , like the party.

A party she knows only too well: Marine Tondelier has been part of the management for almost 10 years.

His idea: to rename the party Les Écologistes and go on a hunt for voters.

“ 

There is an ecological class that is unknown in France,

 swears Marine Tondelier.

 It must become aware of itself and that we become its natural electoral choice

 ”.

Because the ecologists could only see the damage to the presidential election, which ended once again under 5% of the vote, due in particular to a migration of their voters to Jean-Luc Mélenchon, yet recently rallied to the battle for the planet.

It's up to us to reconnect with working-class neighborhoods, rural areas, mountain areas

 " lists the new national secretary of the party.

And to add: " 

Going to do that, that's what I like in politics anyway

 ".

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

  • French politics

  • France