The former Minister of Justice announced this Sunday that she will “submit” to the result of the popular primary. The spokesperson for this citizen movement welcomes his decision, but urges the other candidates to recognize the process.
She in “Will accept the verdict”. This Sunday, Christiane Taubira took one more step towards the popular primary. This is the latest episode in a series of adventures experienced by this citizens’ initiative aimed at deciding between potential left-wing candidates through an online vote. First turnaround: on December 8, the socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo announces, after having shunned her, to be in favor of the organization of a primary. Then, on December 17, Christiane Taubira bursts in. The ecologist Yannick Jadot and the rebellious Jean-Luc Mélenchon, them, close the door more every day. And this, despite the 300,000 signatories registered on the site. Spokesman for the popular primary, Samuel Grzybowski looks back on these twists and turns and announces the rest of the program.
What do you think of Christiane Taubira’s announcement?
We obviously greet her. She recognizes our primary, which promises to be the biggest designation process for this presidential election. We want to invest in a rally candidacy that allows ecology and social justice to win. It may be Taubira, it may not be Taubira. There is no evidence that she is the favorite. Admittedly, it was acclaimed on the platform at the time when there were 130,000 signatories, but they are three times more today. [du 11 juillet au 11 octobre, les votants ont exprimé leur préférence pour dix personnalités. Christiane Taubira est arrivée en tête, ndlr].
If it wins, that risks making a candidacy from more to the left… Isn’t that in contradiction with your initial project?
Christiane Taubira does not need us to feel authorized to compete in the presidential election. She just chose to play the game by acknowledging our poll. We never aimed for a single candidacy. It is not possible. The goal is to win in April. Our bet is to serve as a propelling force and a justice of the peace on the left. First, the winner of the primary will have popular legitimacy and will be able to count on our team of 8,000 volunteers to campaign for him. Then, we would like this vote to be indicative for those who doubt, because one in two French people has not yet chosen for whom they will vote in the presidential election.
What to do if Jadot, Mélenchon, and perhaps Hidalgo, continue to refuse to participate?
Since December 1, we no longer ask personalities acclaimed by Internet users whether they want to participate or not. The vote will take place no matter what. The question is not to participate, but to recognize the result of the ballot.
“Let’s hold hands to die together”, jadot joked this Sunday. “This is not my business”, repeated Mélenchon. All the same, doesn’t that diminish your initiative?
(Laughs) I heard Jadot talk about “Solar temple” ! But it is quite the opposite. They can either die on their own or win together. If the candidates realized that their – admittedly profound – differences are nothing compared to the comet heading straight for the earth, climate change, they could be a game-changer.
Hidalgo is less clear. She said she wanted to participate. Then she wouldn’t go if Jadot didn’t go …
It’s true, it’s not always easy to understand. We thought she wanted to recognize the ballot, and today she says that she is not sure… It is up to her to make her decision.
Some say she would have been cooled by the “majority judgment” system …
These are rumors. His teams agreed. That was the only non-negotiable condition for us: voters do not vote for their favorite or least bad candidate. They express themselves on all the candidates, by assigning them a choice among the five mentions, between “excellent” and “To reject”. The candidate with the best median wins.
What are the next steps ?
On January 15, the final list of those presented to the ballot will be unveiled: of the ten personalities voted for by the voters, only those who have confirmed their candidacy for the presidential election will remain in the running. Voters should therefore have a maximum of seven choices, with Jadot, Mélenchon, Hidalgo and Taubira, Larrouturou, Marchandise and Agueb-Porterie if they were to come forward. [les trois personnalités restantes ayant déjà annoncé ne pas y aller].The question asked in the vote will also be revealed. Then, we will not make the campaign of the winner if he does not respect our conditions, in particular to integrate the “common base” [le programme de la primaire populaire] in his presidential project and to bring a rallying dynamic. People will be able to register until January 23 at midnight. The vote will take place from January 27 to 30. Until then, we will hammer home this simple idea: 85% of left-wing voters want a joint candidacy. The candidates could have organized themselves before, they did not. Now it’s up to us, the citizens, to choose.