“80 days from the election, it’s ridiculous”

Just a few weeks ago, the popular primary, a citizens’ initiative that pleads for a joint candidacy on the left for the presidential election, generated hope or questioning, now bitterness dominates. “80 days from the election, it’s ridiculous”; “It’s a failure”; “A mess”, launch activists of the socialist party who came to attend the meeting of Anne Hidalgo in Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis).

While registration to vote ends Sunday, January 23, at midnight, none of the candidates for the presidential election will recognize the results, with the exception of Christiane Taubira. “Having a popular primary when the candidates are not applying, it distorts democracy and it distorts the representativeness of everyone”, says a PS voter.

“The principle of the popular primary is a factor of cohesion in principle, but if there are no participants and no one gathers behind a candidate, it rather marks divisions”, regrets a young participant in the meeting of Anne Hidalgo.

And the judgment is final regardless of the generations: “It’s too late !”, says Michel, a member of the socialist party since 1974. The activist supported and registered for this primary citizen. But he no longer believes in it.

“There would have to be a national debate for it to really have an impact, as we were able to do in the socialist party at the time of Manuel Valls, Benoît Hamon. So there it is an empty shell”, advances the one who participated in at least four presidential campaigns.

Anne Hidalgo’s voters also point to a risk: the demobilization of left-wing voters, the complete opposite of a primary dynamic.