Home stretch. “Next Sunday, something extraordinary will happen”, predicted comedian Bruno Gaccio in the first part of the hologram meeting of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, in Trappes (Yvelines). Five days before the first round of the presidential election, Tuesday April 5, the candidate of La France insoumise threw his last forces into battle, with the hope of slipping into the “mouse hole” which would allow him to qualify for the second round.
To disprove recent polls, the “rebellious” leader chose for his last campaign meeting to multiply with holograms, as five years ago, in order to travel to the four corners of France. Physically in Lille, the LFI deputy was also in eleven other cities (Le Havre, Albertville, Besançon, Metz, Montluçon, Narbonne, Nice, Pau, Poitiers, Trappes and Vannes) in order to cover the whole of France. The objective was to have “a meeting less than 250 kilometers from each Frenchman”explains Bastien Lachaud, head of events for the Mélenchon campaign.
In Trappes, a city where abstention rose to more than 29% in the first round in 2017, seven points more than the national average, it was in particular a question of galvanizing the troops. In LFI’s strategy, the hologram meeting represents the last stage of the rocket which should make it possible to propel the candidate to the second round. “Our idea is to do everything to install the idea that Mélenchon is the left-wing candidate who can be in the second round”already explained a campaign executive in February.
The great technological rout therefore had the function of fetching the last missing voters to create the surprise on April 10. “If the abstainers do not mobilize, we will not be in the second round”, repeat the executives of the Mélenchon camp. In the last days, “You will continue to mobilize, to speak in companies, in the street, in your families”invited MP LFI Clémentine Autain, addressing the activists gathered in Trappes. “You will help France get rid of the far right in the first round”continued the mayor of the city, Ali Rabeh, a close friend of Benoît Hamon.
“The France that is looking for itself, the people who grope, look towards us and say to themselves: ‘Here is France, here is the one we want'”, then launched the hologram of Jean-Luc Mélenchon shortly after its appearance. To catch up in the polls, the candidate first approached “to the angry who are not fachos”according to its usual formula.
Appearance of Jean-Luc Mélenchon #Presidential2022 pic.twitter.com/pkI2nzMPK8
— Clement Parrot (@CParrot) April 5, 2022
He spent a long time denouncing the program of Marine Le Pen, recalling in particular his differences on his proposals in terms of purchasing power. “In the end, what would be the point of putting Marine Le Pen in power? What she is proposing is full of class contempt. I propose price freezes. She is against it”, launched the candidate. He also castigated the absenteeism of the RN candidate in the European Parliament and made fun of “the lady who loves cats” when she proposes the constitutional recognition of the legal status of animals, recalling that a legal status was already established in 2015.
“I don’t have a cat, I only have a cactus, but it got me drunk. Here she is suddenly repainted as an animalist, when it’s the program of the Future in common [celui du candidat LFI] who is an animalist.
Jean-Luc Melenchonat a meeting
He then reviewed the main themes of his program, promising the end of for-profit nursing homes, evoking the “feminist revolution” or still displaying its desire to “relocate everything we can”. The “rebellious” candidate called at the end of the speech for mobilization: “We still have three days.” He addressed leftist voters of all sensibilities, asking them to unite behind his ballot. “We still have three days and I ask you to be careful and careful of those who thinkhe asked his activists. Make them feel with delicacy that everyone is individually, personally responsible for the outcome that will happen.”
The tribune wanted to give hope to his troops, even giving an appointment “probably at the Charléty stadium”, in Paris, during the interval between rounds, in the event of qualification. In the room, Melenchonist sympathizers are beginning to believe it. “I come out galvanized, it will be difficult but we have a good dynamic”says Rita. “I was touched, it brings hope, especially for ecology and youth”adds Balthazar. “Activists from other left-wing parties are beginning to join us, welcomes Christian. They understood that the useful first-round vote is Mélenchon. After Chirac in 2002, Macron in 2017, they are tired of being fooled.” Behind her mask, Marie is an example of this rallying process.
“I feel closer to Poutou or Arthaud, but as Mélenchon can be in the second round if we look at the margins of error, I will vote for him.”
Marie, left-wing activistat franceinfo
During his meeting, Jean-Luc Mélenchon did not speak directly to the abstainers, but asked his activists to do the work in the last days. “The abstainers from working-class neighborhoods, they do not watch the meeting but the challenge now is to mobilize on the ground”explains Mornia Labssi, member of the parliament of the People’s Union, the movement created by LFI to bring together support from all walks of life and carry the Mélenchon candidacy.
Eléonore heard the message. “For those around me who no longer believe in elections, it’s harder. But for those who abstain out of laziness, who think it’s over, it’s possible.” She intends to educate those around her until the last hour, especially on “ecological emergency”: “Because for our children, we must succeed in offering them something other than civil war for the future.”
“I believe in it, in the second round”also enthuses Dominique, a former “yellow vest” who took his still undecided daughter to the meeting. “He has conviction, he knows how to talk to people. I think the polls are wrong and there will be people in the polling stations.” On the other hand, in the event of a second round between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, he would not hesitate for a second. “I vote Le Pen straight, because I ate Macron for five years and I’ve had enough.”