They are courted and their support is carefully publicized. Profiles from civil society are multiplying on the candidate lists for the European elections on June 9. The latest recruit, a judge, Pascale Piera, announced that she was joining the National Rally (RN) on Thursday April 25. Like her, new faces are finding a place on campaign posters: the farmer and trade unionist Céline Imart at Les Républicains (LR), the Franco-Palestinian lawyer Rima Hassan at La France insoumise (LFI), the former police officer Matthieu Valet at the RN or the figure of the “yellow vests” Priscillia Ludosky at Les Ecologistes.
Novices in the electoral game, these personalities allow the parties to display citizen renewal and to address certain categories of voters. The recipe is not new: the navigator Gérard d’Aboville and the academic Hélène Carrère d’Encausse were elected in 1994 on the union list of the center and the right UDF-RPR. In 2009, the Europe Ecologie list gave pride of place to civil society, notably with the anti-globalization activist José Bové, or a certain Yannick Jadot, freshly arrived from the NGO Greenpeace.
During the last European elections, in 2019, several leading candidates also took their first steps in the campaign, such as the philosopher François-Xavier Bellamy for LR, the essayist Raphaël Glucksmann for the Socialist Party and Place publique or the ex- NGO executive Manon Aubry for LFI, all three candidates for re-election on June 9. If the effect on voter mobilization seems moderate, parties are relying more than ever on this strategy to publicize and energize their campaign.
A profile for each campaign theme
Who better than a farmer to accompany Eric Ciotti and François-Xavier Bellamy on the farm? On February 19, in the midst of an agricultural crisis, the head of the Republicans and his head of list for the European elections went to a farm in Seine-et-Marne. Alongside them, a 41-year-old cereal producer from Tarn is making her way in front of the cameras: it is Céline Imart, whose position in second place on the LR list was revealed the day before.
Two months later, we are pleased to have invested in this new figure, little known to the general public despite his numerous television appearances and his union commitment. “This choice responds to a strong current theme while the agricultural world is sufferingrejoices LR MP for Jura Marie-Christine Dalloz. It’s important to have a representative of the sector on our list, especially since farmers often tend to question Europe and its common agricultural policy.”
As for General Christophe Gomart, his very regal CV as former head of military intelligence won over the party’s staff. “His past and his knowledge are useful to inform the debate on the Ukrainian conflict”praises the parliamentarian. With these nominations, the parties are aiming to embody campaign themes, a profitable strategy according to LR.
“Today, generalizing about Europe doesn’t work.”
Marie-Christine Dalloz, member of the Republicans of Juraat franceinfo
Choosing a personality whose profile corresponds to a campaign axis is also what the RN did by recruiting Fabrice Leggeri, the former boss of the Frontex agency. “It confirms the diagnosis that we have been making for years about the European Union which is doing everything to encourage immigration”, assures Alexandre Loubet, campaign director of the list led by Jordan Bardella. As for the essayist Malika Sorel, it’s her work “on the fight against communitarianism” which interests the party. Finally, the recruitment of former police officer Matthieu Valet came at the right time, at the beginning of April, while several news items have generated strong media coverage and political reactions in recent weeks. The strategy, however, has its limits: “Our second key theme for this campaign is purchasing power, but it’s more complicated to have someone who embodies that”concedes Alexandre Loubet.
A vote favorable to such recruitments
Many parties choose to “raise professional profiles”analyzes Sébastien Michon, research director at CNRS. “To elect representatives withinEuropean institutions with complex functioning, the parties rather rely on people who embody a sector: the farmer, the teacher, the policeman… It is a gateway to trying to develop themes.” Another advantage: “Embody renewal”.
The sociologist recalls that this has long been a tradition specific to European elections: “As it is a vote which is not territorial, the party headquarters have more weight. Furthermore, the European Parliament is considered by many to be a little peripheral: the tenors of the parties are already in the Assembly and in the Senate or in the government, so the European elections are an opportunity to bring less identified people to the forefront.” In addition, the proportional voting system encourages the multiplication of lists, and each tries to stand out.
“Credibility to carry struggles”
On the left too, these profiles are very sought after. Their presence on the list “produces two effects”, theorizes Matthias Tavel, campaign director of La France insoumise. She bring “credibility and legitimacy to carry out struggles”. “On pensions, it’s not the same thing when it’s Rachel Keke who denounces the arduousness at work as when it’s me, with my bac +5”illustrates the LFI deputy for Loire-Atlantique, who perceives another advantage.
“It generates identification: people who do not feel represented will be interested in the election by seeing profiles like labor inspector Anthony Smith or beekeeper Muriel Pascal on the list.”
Matthias Tavel, director of the European campaign for LFIat franceinfo
By placing Franco-Palestinian activist Rima Hassan in seventh position on its list, La France insoumise also hopes that its slogan “for a ceasefire in Gaza” will be at the heart of the European campaign and will help recover votes. “The challenge is to be able to mobilize people who might consider that this election is not for them”believes Matthias Tavel, who adds that “peace in Gaza is also at stake in this election”. A positioning which arouses strong reactions, particularly within the right and the majority, guaranteeing a certain amount of media coverage.
While their campaign is struggling, Les Ecologists are also banking on new faces to relaunch themselves, even if they want to be pioneers in the field. “At EELV, we have always had an activist melting pot, with many personalities with an associative background”insists MEP David Cormand, one of the outgoing candidates in an eligible position, behind the head of the list Marie Toussaint.
Alongside the green MEPs who are representing themselves, several new figures have made a place for themselves, such as the young Marseille activist Amine Kessaci and Priscillia Ludosky. “We have always analyzed the “yellow vests” as a movement against carbon dependence”, explains David Cormand. As for Flora Ghebali, entrepreneur and columnist in the show “Les Grandes Gueules” on RMC, she is “very media”And “She has been wondering about sobriety and our affluent society for a long time”, defends the MEP. And if these recruitments seem eclectic, it’s because “ecology aims to bring people together”he assures.
“The important thing is the little story it tells”
In the RN, the arrival of profiles labeled “civil society” is a little more recent, compared to other parties, and linked to the progression of the movement in recent years. “All the RN executives have become deputies, and the sub-executives are elected, so the party no longer needs to pay its troops”, observes researcher Sébastien Michon. Marine Le Pen’s party can thus draw from outside the movement, an approach which is not without risk for a party in search of credibility. Because the new recruits “do not necessarily have knowledge of all the other subjects”we recognize in the party. “But we prepare them and we coach them.”
Despite the risk-taking and accusations of opportunism, the RN believes it has more to gain than to lose by investing several novices in politics. However, the impact of these candidates on the results at the polls “is impossible to measure”assures Sébastien Michon.
“The parties are banking on these profiles because it gets people talking and, in an election marked by high abstention, we have to try to attract voters.”
Sébastien Michon, research director at CNRSat franceinfo
In 2019, one in two voters did not turn out and the June 9 vote could once again be marked by a strong abstention, despite this strategy. “The electoral impact may be quite limited, but the important thing is the little story it tells: the RN will have an opening list with serious people, from other backgrounds, not career politicians. It gives us credibility.”insists Alexandre Loubet.
Among the frontists, the mechanics are well oiled, and the tactic of going through the rallies is fully assumed. The canvassing of personalities began several months ago before being recorded in January. But the names are revealed little by little, each time with an exclusive interview in a media outlet, to ensure maximum exposure. “We are going to organize our rallies, because the campaign is long”, smiles Alexandre Loubet. Unlike LFI or the environmentalists, who have already presented their entire list, the RN will wait until May 1 to reveal the first 30 candidates during a meeting in Perpignan. The parties have until May 18 to submit their list.