Critics fuse against the president of Grand Reims. Three days after the second round of the legislative elections, she is criticized by elected officials, in particular on the left, for not having called for a dam against the National Rally in the second district of the Marne. Guest of France Bleu Champagne-Ardenne, this Wednesday morning, Catherine Vautrin also returns to her proposal to create a “government pact”, which would include the presidential majority, Les Républicains, and “why not, Socialists”.
France Bleu Champagne-Ardenne: The second constituency of the Marne fell into the hands of the National Rally. Do you feel like you have a share of responsibility in this election of an RN MP?
Catherine Vautrin: We will perhaps in two words, remember history. I remind you that there is an outgoing deputy [Aïna Kuric, ndlr]. This outgoing deputy did not obtain the nomination of her party. It is extremely rare that an outgoing deputy does not have the nomination of his party. But it was not I who gave the nominations in our department. It is better already that she asks herself the question about what she has done in the years of her mandate. Second element, this deputy, she presented herself to the regional elections, we saw the score, she presented herself to the municipal elections, we also saw the score. So it’s a bit of an eye and a beam. It’s always easier to criticize others than to question yourself.
But behind all that, it’s neither you nor I who vote. There are voters who have spoken. They knew the outgoing MP. If they had found the incumbent fantastic and corresponding to their needs, they could elect her since she was a candidate. So the subject is the signal sent by the voters of the second constituency, like the French voters in their majority. More than 50% of people did not vote. It must question us. This means that there is a real mistrust of elected officials, whoever they are. And second, there are 89 RN deputies today in the National Assembly. It shows our fellow citizens’ expectations and we have to hear what our fellow citizens are saying, who are much more interested in the problems that are theirs, the fluids, the purchasing power issues than in knowing whether Ms. Duchmol or Mr. Dupont had or not an investiture.
Some elected officials criticize you for not having taken part in the between-two-towers in this 2nd district of the Marne, between the RN and the Nupes. At the Reims city council on Monday, elected leftists even left the Assembly to express their anger. Why did you not call to block the RN?
Catherine Vautrin: We witnessed this bad play at the municipal council of Reims. The subject is extremely clear. There were two candidates in the second round in the second constituency. One was National Rally. We all said “not a voice for the extremes”. The other was certainly Nupes, but she was above all LFI. I remind you all the same that La France insoumise is the party of Mr. Mélenchon which just says that “the police kill”. I’m sorry, but for me a policeman is someone who is the guardian of an authority who provides security at the risk of his life. From there, voters do not need voting instructions. They do what they want.
At the end of these legislative elections, Emmanuel Macron did not obtain an absolute majority in the Assembly. Today, he is proposing a “government of national unity”. Do you propose a coalition between the presidential majority and Les Républicains?
Catherine Vautrin: Republicans and perhaps also why not Socialists? The subject is to take people who are Republicans in the democratic sense of the term, that is to say from LR to the Socialist Party included. These people who have the ability to work together and provide answers. You know, I am elected from the Greater Reims urban community, I have socialist vice-presidents, right-wing vice-presidents and we work together. We manage to get out texts and work together. I believe that what is important is to mobilize ourselves. I somehow prefer my country to my party.