Immediately forget the big meetings with hundreds of people, flags and a figure haranguing the crowd on stage. No, this Tuesday April 19, in the Bernard Gireaudeau space room in La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime), in the Mireuil district, Olivier Véran, the evening star and still Minister of Health for at least a few days, appeared relaxed, tie-free, and confident, with no notes. In an intimate atmosphere, he exchanged for 1h30 with his audience, about 150 people. Many elected officials from the department, activists, but also a lot of people from the world of health, of course, and also some curious voters.
Between balance sheet defense and criticism of the opposing program
Like Léana for example, who came with her mother, Laurence: “I proposed to him. I’ve only attended one meeting in my life, I think it’s an experience. And we don’t regret it. But _we didn’t need convincing_“. Léana, 20, continues: “It hurts me when young people around me say to me: ‘Why isn’t she Marine Le Pen well?'”
She promises us 100,00 additional places in nursing homes. But who wants to go to nursing home one day? Candidates?…
Ask this question to Olivier Véran, he has resources. The minister alternates defense of the results of this five-year term which is ending and details as to the program of Emmanuel Macron’s competitor: “Marine Le Pen promises us 100,000 more Ehpad places? Maybe. Who in the room would like to go to an Ehpad one day? Is there a candidate? … I don’t see any not.” The Minister does not avoid any subject, lends himself easily to the game of questions from the public. Of course, arrives on the table… The thorny subject of pensions : “With Marine Le Pen, it’s retirement at 60 or 62. But what also interests retirees and future retirees is “How much do I earn once I no longer work?” Because there is also the age from which I no longer have a discount on my retirement. And it’s not the same.”
Invoke the History of France
In any case, retirement at 65 does not bother Manon, who came to this meeting to accompany a friend. “Marine Le Pen in the second round, that seems really unrealistic to me, but it can pass and that scares me very much. I don’t want to live in a country where the far right is in power. Really not”. His girlfriend is Chloe. She has already tried to imagine what it could look like if the RN candidate came to power: “It would be chaos, _the legacy of fascism is upon us_.”
And finally it is a bit the issue that emerges from this evening, the strongest words come from the mayor of La Rochelle, Jean-François Fountaine: “The History of France is simply watching us. Next Sunday’s result can really call into question these great values that bring us together”. It thus indicates: “That’s why, _obviously, I call for a massive vote Emmanuel Macron_. I say this with a certain solemnity because the weather is right for it today”. Before concluding, speaking louder, clearly detaching each word: “There is no room next Sunday for abstention, for the invalid vote. It must be said and repeated, the invalid vote or abstention is to vote Marine Le Pen.”