EShe has her feet in the mud, but her smile from ear to ear. For her first campaign trip in early February, Hélène Thouy chose to go to Sologne, to a sanctuary that collects animals. Heaven on earth for this animal lover, who lives like a fish in water among cats, donkeys, goats and other wild boars. “It’s nice to see happy animals! Joséphine, the shelter’s mascot sow who enjoys a session of scratching under the sun, does not say otherwise. Suddenly, a detonation disturbs the peaceful atmosphere of the place. And remember that the sanctuary is only an enclave in this region where hunting is common. The smile has disappeared from Hélène Thouy’s face. “These poor animals, so beautiful, that we massacre…”
At 38, the Girondine is the first candidate of the Animalist Party in the presidential election. The political structure, which she co-founded in 2017, rose to 2.2% in the Europeans, doing better than the list of François Asselineau or that of Lutte Ouvrière. An electoral success on which the small party and its candidate are surfing, who do not claim to be able to be elected to the Élysée. “We don’t want positions, but to advance the animal cause. Prohibition of hunting, bullfighting, end of industrial and intensive farming… What the animalists want is to place their fight at the heart of the debate and force the other candidates to seize their measures.
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Vegetarian at 7 years old
The activist candidate is taking advantage of the supreme election to carry the fight of her life. An early awareness, which came when she was just a child. Hélène Thouy grew up in the countryside, in the South-West, among animals. “My grandmother killed chickens, I quickly made the connection between the chicken on the table and the chickens running around the house. She also remembers the “screams” coming from the slaughterhouse next door. So, even if she loved charcuterie, she decided, at the age of 7, to stop eating meat. To the chagrin of his parents, who first think of a whim and try to force his hand. Before abdicating in the face of the young girl’s already tenacious convictions. “My mom researched how to offset and balance my meals. »
They are unknown to the general public, have no chance of winning and have nevertheless decided to embark on the battle for the presidential election. What motivates them? What do they recommend? Point went to meet these small candidates with big ambitions.
Stéphanie Rivoal, an ambassador in the race
Jean-Marc Governatori, never two applications without three!
Fabrice Grimal, the ex-Yellow Vest who targets the Élysée
Alexandre Langlois, a cop in the presidential race
Rafik Smati, a web entrepreneur in the presidential arena
Clara Egger, the RIC candidate
Despite the mockery of her comrades “who didn’t understand”, Hélène Thouy persisted, got involved in associations and decided to study law. A lawyer, she defends animal rights activists, including L214, the association known for its shocking videos of abuse in slaughterhouses. Caroline Lanty, with whom she works in tandem on the files of L214, describes a woman “passionate” by her cause as much as she is determined. “She’s a nice warrior. She fights, but always with a smile. “The animal question is in his guts,” agrees Brigitte Gothière, director and co-founder of L214.
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The young lawyer fights on all fronts to raise awareness of the animal cause. In the courts, but also within political parties. It was at EELV that she met Fabienne Roumet. “I brought associations to the party to talk about the animal cause,” recalls the one who is now her campaign manager. She is quickly seduced by his talents as a speaker. “I found it very good, very clear. »Very quickly, associative activism was no longer enough for him. This legalist, opposed to violent actions, is convinced that it is necessary to go through politics to advance the cause and that no elected official is up to it. Never mind, in 2017 she co-founded the Animalist Party, which presented its first legislative candidates. “We were a new party, we had to manage everything. We came out of the campaign washed out. In the municipal elections in 2020, the party places its first elected officials in the municipal councils, in particular in Grenoble and Paris.
A showcase of antispecism?
But behind the party’s election posters showing cute cats and dogs rather than the candidates, some worry about a well-honed strategy to quietly advance far more radical ideas. “Hélène Thouy is the visible part of French anti-speciesism”, warns a communicator who knows the animalist nebula well for having been often confronted with it. The candidate would be “the showcase” presentable, “but we must not forget that at the back of the shop, in the reserve, you have the antispecists who are waiting”.
READ ALSOPaul Sugy: “Antispecism is a nihilistic impasse”
If she does not put it forward, Hélène Thouy does not hide it: she would prefer more radical measures for the animal cause. But it sticks to a “principle of reality”, choosing to move forward on the subjects on which opinion polls show that the majority of French people agree, such as the end of hunting, bullfights, Intensive farming… “We will save more animal lives by moving forward on these measures where we agree” than by immediately wanting to impose radical measures, believes the candidate. “The communication they do is totally fake, they lie to the French, the communicator chokes. This is the principle of the ratchet wheel: we advance in small steps knowing that we will never go back. »
“She was able to find the balance between the horizon of animalists, which would be more demanding, and the reality of society”, nuances Fabienne Roumet. An ability to take a step back from one’s strongest convictions to better advance them which impresses activists. “They are fans of her! enthuses her campaign manager, her eyes riveted on the travel program, which has the greatest difficulty in snatching the candidate from the supporters who rush to come and talk to her.
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The difficult hunt for sponsorships
Saturday February 12, Hélène Thouy held her very first meeting in Orléans. In the car taking her from Paris, she doesn’t look up from her computer, studious, refining her speech. “I should have repeated it beforehand, she concedes, but I have so much work…” If cats have seven lives, Hélène Thouy leads three at the same time: she must combine the campaign with her activity as a lawyer, which she could not completely put on hold, and with her family life. “I am lucky to have a companion who can free himself to take care of our child. The animal cause occupies her whole life, to the point that she has not taken a vacation for three years. A working capacity that impresses. “She manages to lead everything without ever complaining”, cowardly, admiring, Sandra Krief, elected animalist in Grenoble. His lawyer colleague Caroline Lanty does not hesitate to praise a “superwoman”.
Still, this presidential marathon could quickly end. For the first time, Hélène Thouy has gone hunting, and it’s far from simple. The Animalist Party stumbles on the quest for sponsorships, at 70, far from the 500 necessary to run for president. “It takes up all our time, and during that time, we don’t really campaign,” breathes the candidate. And it’s a strange sensation, you don’t really feel like a candidate…” She does not give up, but expects a possible failure at the gates of the Constitutional Council. “It’s an influential candidacy, tackles the communicator. She knows very well that she won’t get the sponsorships, but she sells her ideas cheaply. “Hélène Thouy intends however to continue the fight in the legislative elections, where more than a hundred candidates have already been invested by the party. “The challenge for us is to be present as much as possible, to show politicians that there are citizens everywhere who want this subject to move forward. »