Presidential 2022: Christiane Taubira announces “consider being a candidate”

Christiane Taubira only lifted part of the suspense that surrounded her possible participation in the race for the Elysee: the former Socialist Minister of the Seals said on Friday “to consider” his candidacy for the presidency. The former Minister of Justice of François Hollande thus gives “see you in mid-January” to his supporters, to respond to “dead end” of a left more divided than ever, in a three-minute video broadcast on social networks, to be found at the top of the article.

“There are applications of great value from people for whom I have respect and friendship, but I see the impasse”, she said. And to continue: “I have always said that I will take my responsibility. For that I am considering being a candidate for the French Republic. I will not be another candidate. I will put all my strength into the last chances of the union”, at a time when the left is scattered between several candidates, for a low cumulative total of about 25% of the voting intentions in the first round. “I have always said that I will take my responsibility”, she pressed.

At 69, the native of Cayenne, Guyana, says she has “do the count” from “questions and expectations” of the French before embarking on “to open a common path”. The former Minister of Justice did not mention a potential participation in the Popular Primary, scheduled for the end of January 2022 and which aims to appoint a single candidate to the left, at the initiative of the socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo. The deadline for applications is January 15th.

“We welcome the position of Ms. Taubira”, congratulated its organizers to AFP, calling on the former minister to “participate in the People’s Primary vote” and “to win social justice and ecology in 2022”.

“I think what Christiane Taubira said this morning is valid” the primary project, said socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo at a press conference. A project of which she reiterated the importance in her eyes, “so that the left can carry a project that allows it to be present in the second round” of the presidential election, she said. “Let us debate in front of our citizens (…) in a loyal way, with those who want to govern together as well as with those who do not want to govern with others”, she called again.

Among environmentalists, two different lines have already reacted. “It’s good, she puts her feet in the union”, applauded Sandrine Rousseau, finalist in the environmentalist primary. “Here we are really starting (…) to see a left-wing government, so let’s go!”, she rejoiced on RMC. “I’m a little tired of these applications which potentially add up to one another”, on the other hand criticized the environmental candidate Yannick Jadot who held a press conference at the same time.

“We are four months away from the presidential election, and on the left and among environmentalists we cannot talk to the French”, he added, wishing “that we stop the political games”. “If the Socialist Party next month wants to organize its primary, it’s up to it. (…) I will not go back to a primary with a programmatic base that is not up to our climate ambition and on Europe “, he announced. The environmental candidate had already declined the invitation of Anne Hidalgo to the primary of the left.

On the side of France Insoumise, the deputy for Paris Danièle Obono tweeted this Friday morning before the announcement that “C. Taubira is a respectable person, but it’s not a question of people, it’s a question of substance”, considering that the“We do not tinker with a circumstantial rally 4 months before the election. This kind of political combination will not convince the popular masses”.

“Mmes Hidalgo & Taubira were part of the majority of F. Hollande, are accountable for the right-wing policy he pursued, with the result Macronie in power and the far-right in ambush. We propose the rupture, they continuity and accommodation “, she continued.

In recent weeks, the former member of Guyana had increased contacts with the entourage of several candidates on the left, raising hopes of a possible candidacy for supporters of a “union”. In addition to the former Minister of Justice, the socialist Anne Hidalgo, the ecologist Yannick Jadot, the rebellious Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the communist Fabien Roussel or even Arnaud Montebourg (La Remontada), Philippe Poutou (NPA) and Nathalie Arthaud (LO).

Despite rare media appearances, Christiane Taubira still enjoys an intact popularity with the electorate of the left, resulting in particular from her fight for marriage for all in 2013. An Odoxa study for The Obs published a week ago revealed that she is, on the left of the political spectrum, the figure judged “the most competent”, “convincing” and “close to the concerns of the French”. In front of Anne Hidalgo and Yannick Jadot.

It remains for the former MEP to transform the expectations of a part of the left and convince more widely. Tested for the first time since Anne Hidalgo’s proposal for the primary, Christiane Taubira is credited with only 2% of voting intentions in the first round, according to an OpinionWay – Better vote poll published on Wednesday.

Another thorn in his side, while ensuring that the words of antivax are “a bunch of idiots”, she refused at the end of September to call for vaccination against the Covid in Guyana, arguing that giving an instruction when she did not have enough“information elements” would risk “discredit” her “strong word”. Very criticized remarks, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran even evoking the “cowardice” from the former member.

This is not the first time that the Guyanese has embarked on the race for the Élysée: in 2002, she was a candidate in the colors of the Left Radical Party (PRG), garnering 2.32% of the vote.