one month before the election, the candidates are looking for the miracle recipe to get people talking about them

The candidates for the European elections next June are looking for the martingale to find themselves in the spotlight, especially when they are lagging behind in the polls.

Time is starting to speed up in these European elections, which will take place on June 9, a month to the day. Even if we have to be honest, everything could be decided in the last two weeks, as the French have their minds elsewhere for the moment, the candidates are already trying everything for everything, using communications.

This week of May 8, François-Xavier Bellamy, head of the Republican list, came to Sciences Po Paris to denounce the occupation by pro-Palestinian students. A surprise visit, a happening as they say in good French, which made the rounds on social networks. A well-played political move, but which has nothing to do with the European vote. He is not the only one who wants to be talked about.

Manon Aubry, of France Insoumise, drew a few days ago what she hoped would be a lethal weapon against Raphaël Glucksmann, her main rival on the left, who is well ahead of her in the polls. She accused him of being paid by lobbies as other MEPs would be. Serious questioning, especially since she mixes cabbage and carrots. The socialist candidate replied that these were copyrights taken from his books. If the buzz can make you sing, it also fuels conspiracy and populism. And then there are those who go looking for understudies.

Valérie Hayer, the candidate of the presidential majority who is having difficulty printing, is also looking for her little effect to make up for her significant delay on Jordan Bardella. A publicity stunt in a way since it is Gabriel Attal who is called to the rescue. The Prime Minister, rather discreet until now in this campaign, got wet on Tuesday at the Paris Mutuality meeting to try to breathe new life into the Macronist list. The high point of his involvement in this campaign will undoubtedly be the debate against Jordan Bardella on May 23 on France 2. Even if it means mixing national and European politics, personal and presidential ambitions of 2027.

What about European issues?

Until then everything is a little confused with national issues, controversies which have nothing to do with what is within the remit of Europe. We saw this, for example, when Marion Maréchal, the Zemmourist candidate, launched into a crusade against GPA, surrogate mothers. Or when Léon Déffontaine, the communist candidate publicly addressed Colombe, this sixty-year-old RSA voter of the RN and popularized thanks to social networks. Not that these subjects are not important, but they are not directly linked to the June 9 election.

In short, the risk is that this election, the first since the presidential election, becomes a catch-all, a competition of words and tricks, and that Europe ultimately takes a back seat, once again. .