Virginie Martin, political scientist and sociologist, estimates on Saturday January 22 on franceinfo that “not much” will not be able to get Anne Hidalgo’s campaign off the ground, which “oar” according to her. The socialist presidential candidate was at a meeting on Saturday in Aubervilliers, in Seine-Saint-Denis. She has shown herself determined to continue her campaign despite the polls. “We won’t give up”, she hammered.
franceinfo: What could finally get Anne Hidalgo’s campaign off the ground?
Virginia Martin: I do not know. Not much, I think, unfortunately for her, it’s difficult. The campaign rows, it is very little audible. It really can’t print. Today, we heard a speech that clung rather to the past of the Socialist Party rather than to a future. It still lacks a bit of ideological backbone for tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
In those around him, he says to himself that she absolutely wants to believe it. There is a kind of will, absolutely purity, to go all the way. I rather have the impression today that she wants to hold on until the end, even if, indeed, the economic bankruptcy of the PS can be played out, which is already today in a very bad financial position.
Anne Hidalgo had called for a primary from the left, but does not recognize the popular primary today. Do voters not get a bit lost?
They are completely lost in it. Especially since his speech and his positions have fluctuated. She was rather, at one point, favorable towards this popular primary. Today, rather unfavorable. It was rather open vis-à-vis the Greens. Today, she hits Yannick Jadot a lot. There is a line which is not constant. And there, of course, to print, it’s very complicated. Being audible is not possible when you are not constant.
Doesn’t Anne Hidalgo have a problem of ideological positioning?
It is a difficulty, also a difficulty of the five years that have just passed. The PS could have rearmed ideologically, really positioned itself very clearly also in relation to Emmanuel Macron. All of this could have happened. There was time. The program could also have had more breath. Benoît Hamon, typically, had a very rich program. He didn’t make many points, he still exceeded 5%. There, one has a little the impression that there is an attempt to reconcile with the popular categories. But ultimately, Anne Hidalgo clings rather to the past, with marriage for all, the death penalty, the 2015 climate agreement… What has been done for five years within the party itself? Maybe not enough work too, and not enough preparation for this election.