Christiane Taubira had promised to clarify her intentions in mid-January. It is now done. Two months before the first round, she will be a candidate for the presidential election of 2022. “For a government that respects us. For a government of great democracy, rid of any monarchical fantasy. To meet all these requirements, I am a candidate for the presidency of the Republic”, launched the former Keeper of the Seals, Saturday, January 15, in Lyon.
>> Presidential 2022: how the hope of a primary on the left is (almost) gone
This eighth candidacy within a left exploded like a puzzle does not worry his supporters. Gathered on the esplanade of the ascent of the Grande-Côte in Croix-Rousse, a symbolic choice of the new candidate to pay tribute to the former workers of this silk district, the 350 Lyonnais present were above all reassured that their champion finally decides to enter the race for the Elysée.
Students, retirees, young couples with children, elected officials, activists… All had the same watchword: “Christiane Taubira is the only one who can still rally the left and she does not need political parties to do so”.
For Coline, a young mother from a Croix-Rousse family, who came with her two little girls, “It is time for the left to forget its egos and line up behind Christiane Taubira. She is the last hope for a rally and perhaps, I hope, for a great victory for the left on the evening of the second round”.
Taubira 2022 red sign in hand, Valérie, who campaigns for the Radical Left Party (PRG), goes even further. For this retiree who chose to support François Hollande’s former minister because “it is a woman of convictions who has always made republican values her priority”, it is “Christiane Taubira’s forthcoming victory at the Popular Primary” which will give him the legitimacy to bring together the left. “One hundred and fifty thousand people should vote in the popular primary, which is as much or even more than for the ecologist and right-wing primaries. This will bring real political weight to Christiane Taubira if the latter wins”, projects the 66-year-old Lyonnaise.
The popular Primary, this citizens’ initiative which will elect on January 30 one of the candidates of the left without going through the political parties, Nina, Maéva and Ninon intend to participate. Their objective ? “Make Christiane Taubira win”. For these three 26-year-old students in a Master’s degree in social and solidarity economy at Lyon-2 University, the former Minister of Justice has the merit of being the only one to agree to comply with the verdict of this unprecedented ballot. “What I appreciate about her is that she makes the effort to want to bring the left together instead of making political recovery. She wants to participate in the primary and she sticks to it. It’s not not like Anne Hidalgo who changes her mind every two days“, assures Nina.
But for some Lyonnais who would not have missed Christiane Taubira’s speech this Saturday morning for anything in the world, the task promises to be very complicated for their champion. Many indeed recognize that she will have a hard time rallying the other parties behind her candidacy, even if she wins the popular Primary.
“I admit that objectively I have doubts. We are less than 100 days away from the presidential election and there is still no desire for unity on the left. Even if I am galvanized by his words and his positions of this morning, I remain very surprised by this late declaration of candidacy. Let’s hope that this will have a last-minute booster effect”, loose Julie, a teacher who came with her family, who plans to vote during the popular Primary at the end of January.
Others, also aware that the union of the left will probably never take place, prefer to rely on the personality of their champion and her oratory skills. “She has a soothing and concrete speech. After all the divisions and the vulgarity that we are witnessing in this campaign, especially on the side of the far-right candidates, I believe that we really need to have a person who gives us sources of appeasement and working together”, says Clément, a 28-year-old graphic designer.
“Taubira carries the words high. As we are constantly inundated with low-level speeches, it feels good to have a candidate of this caliber to represent our nation.”
Sarah, professional dancerat franceinfo
Same analysis on the side of Léa, a self-entrepreneur in design. “His speech, we need it because it does good. It’s a humanist speech from someone who defended very strong causes that are difficult to gain acceptance in French society, such as marriage for all”, smiled the young woman.
Some of his supporters are reassured by peeling the first contours of the program of the candidate. In her speech, Christiane Taubira wanted to highlight “the four priorities” of his presidential campaign: youth, social justice, ecology and the Republic.
Among his proposals, two particularly caught the attention of the Lyonnais present. The increase in the minimum wage to 1,400 euros net monthly, but above all the establishment of an income for young people of 800 euros monthly. “She convinced me when she talked about income for students, because she explained how she intended to finance it. It was clear and very concrete for us young people”, rejoices Ninon, a student at Lyon-2.
A left-wing and environmental program that also appeals to this environmental activist who preferred to leave Yannick Jadot’s campaign to join Christiane Taubira. Sophie has since become the referent of the candidate’s campaign in Lyon because “environmentalists and their refusal to ally with the left only represent themselves”. According to the young woman who wears a sign “the greens with Taubira”, it is also “out of anger” that she finally chose Christiane Taubira. “I could have voted for Yannick Jadot because I am deeply green and leftist. But there is no union behind him, the real push from the left, it is behind Taubira. And that is only the start.“
If, for the moment, Christiane Taubira does not take off in the polls, her political supporters and citizens are counting on the formalization of her candidacy to launch a dynamic around her campaign as quickly as possible. Less than three months from the first round, time is running out. Thierry, a territorial agent from the Lyon metropolitan area, still wants to believe in it until the end. “We finally have someone with real stature and sincerity. Let’s continue to dream with her, and let’s mobilize!“