between RN push and “notoriety deficit”, Renaissance activists try to support Valérie Hayer

Less than three months before the European elections, the head of the majority list is holding meetings to make itself known to the general public and compete with Jordan Bardella.

What state of mind are the Renaissance activists in less than three months before the European elections? Their candidate, Valérie Hayer, launched her campaign on March 9 with a large meeting in Lille. Since then, little hands have taken over on the ground. And the activists say it themselves: you have to motivate yourself to take up the challenge, that is to say, to support a candidate who is almost unknown to the general public and well behind the National Rally in the polls.

In the Arras office, in Pas-de-Calais, there are some posters by Valérie Hayer. There are 56 chairs planned but only around forty activists. “This campaign is going to be tough”concedes former minister Brigitte Bourguignon, president of Renaissance in the department.

And Marie-Aimée, member of Horizons, Édouard Philippe’s party, doesn’t blame him: “It’s going to be complicated.” What does not suit him are “the shirts, the jackets… I come from the field, I come from Pas-de-Calais and the speech doesn’t speak to me, explains the activist, a little long, a little too complicated? Europe is a bit far away, for people, for young people, it’s very far.”

“A lack of notoriety which is not a handicap”

Some nevertheless started to tow. “What are people telling us? It is that for the moment, June 9, it still seems a little far from their concerns, reports a Renaissance activist. So the challenge for us, precisely, is to get them to buy into this idea of ​​going to vote already on June 9.” Until then, their first objective is to make their candidate, Valérie Hayer, known. “She has a lack of notoriety, certainly, but that is not a handicap, assures the activist, hence the challenge for us precisely, to make all these assets and all these qualities known.”

Arthur Blanc, youth referent with Macron, finds qualities in him: “I find her charismatic because she is a long-time committed woman who comes from the territories. She was a municipal councilor in Mayenne.”

“She is not identified by the general public, but in any case, all the people who follow politics in Europe know her.”

Arthur Blanc, youth referent with Macron

at franceinfo

Valérie Hayer remains presented by her detractors as a default choice. Evan Centorame, also a Youth activist with Macron, is nevertheless convinced of the skills of his candidate. “I think it’s largely feasible. We know how to bring a group to the European Parliament with 103 deputies. I think we are largely capable of carrying a national list with more than 80 members”, he assures. And in this campaign, the target of these activists is Jordan Bardella. In surveys on voting intentions, he is now credited with more than 10 points ahead of the Renaissance candidate.