Forget the great scenes of joy and emotion. Neck and neck with the presidential majority, the candidates and political figures of the Nupes have called this evening to mobilize for next Sunday, abstainers included.
Serious and concentrated faces, the representatives of Nupes gradually arrived in a small room in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. Contrary to the electoral evenings of the Insoumis during the presidential election, the organizers welcomed the journalists with great sobriety. No activist, no triumphalism, even the image of union was relative since Olivier Faure was not present and Fabien Roussel was replaced by Ian Brossat. But tonight, it is the first place shared with the pro-Macron alliance that we will remember. Only Julien Bayou is available in front of the cameras as soon as the results are announced. He applauds and displays a smile of satisfaction. The others will wait a few minutes to speak, including Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who arrived just five minutes before 8 p.m.
Gather all the left, especially the abstainers
The experienced rebellious knows it, to hope Matignon, it is necessary to bring together distracted voters and champions of abstention. “We ask those with whom we clashed in the first round from the angle of projects and labels, to look at the general interest for the homeland and for the people” calls the third man of the last presidential election. It was not the Mélenchon of great evenings and fiery speeches. Concentrated, he seems to be waiting for next Sunday. In his speech, he strives to make concrete what his accession to the post of Prime Minister would be like. He then hammers out the common program: increase in the minimum wage, retirement at 60, freezing of fuel prices… Everything goes.
Once the word left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon will not make the effort to listen to his comrades. Julien Bayou begins to speak and the rebellious leaves the room. We won’t see him again that evening.
Because if there is one this evening who takes the light, it is indeed the national secretary of Europe Ecology the Greens. Long discreet, in the shadow of his presidential candidate Yannick Jadot, he presents himself as the big winner of this election night, he who did everything for the left alliance to see the light of day. The ecologist repeats that the 3rd round continues next Sunday and accuses Emmanuel Macron of being responsible for the abstention. Jean-Luc Mélenchon nevertheless remains the central figure. Even the waitress at the bar in the room admits to being for him. “I’m happy that Jean-Luc Mélenchon is in the lead. I live in Vincennes, next Sunday I will vote for him”, admits the waitress, illustrating well all the personification of the Nupes campaign around the tireless rebellious.