The People’s Primary kicks off on Thursday, January 27 at 10 a.m. until Sunday, January 30 at 5 p.m. In all, 466,895 people are registered and will have to decide in a majority ballot Christiane Taubira, Anne Hidalgo, Yannick Jadot and Jean-Luc Mélenchon but also candidates unknown to the general public.
>> Presidential 2022: who are the shadow candidates of the popular Primary?
Among the voters there will be Pauline, 21 years old and student, Jérémy, 41 years old and engineer, and Célia, 23 years old and at Sciences Po. We find them in Gironde, in Talence in the Bordeaux metropolis. They do not see themselves as popular Primary activists but rather as “volunteers.” “I usually vote on the left, but I have never voted in”, develops Celia. “Traditionally, I vote for the Socialist Party and Jean-Luc Mélenchon the last time”, explains Jeremy. “I don’t even know who I’m going to vote for”, says Pauline.
The initiative was carried out outside the parties, a form of rebellion against the traditional political apparatuses? “I think it still shows a weakening of the left, replies Pauline. If we are forced to come, we, as citizens, to propose a strategy, it is because they themselves have not been able to carry it.
For Jeremy, “It’s not a fed up, it’s really this desire to unite to have a chance of being represented in the second round”. Unlike Célia who sees her commitment in this primary “for such a critical purpose towards the parties and against partisan politics”.
“Today, the parties try to place their candidate, to make the legislative elections before the hour hoping that everyone has their position. For me, the popular Primary is against this party policy. It’s ideas first , the important thing is the idea and not the person.”
Celia, People’s Primary volunteerat franceinfo
This primary is not accepted by the three main candidates on the left. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Yannick Jadot and Anne Hidalgo have thus publicly stated their refusal to participate in this unprecedented ballot. Only Christiane Taubira has undertaken to recognize the result. “We had a pretty hectic last week”, acknowledges Jeremy. Celia feels that “militants of rebellious France are launching fake news against the popular primary.”
The various controversies reinforce the impression of Pauline “to be abandoned by these parties for the next five years. Current issues, around the environmental crisis for example, cannot wait until 2027.” “We want to go to the end of the process. That’s clear and with or without them, we want to show them that there really is this desire for union”, develops Jeremy.
“Some say we are macronists… It’s totally false! We want a change of president.”
Jérémy, popular Primary volunteerat franceinfo
Then comes the question of their preference. “Really I don’t have one”, insists Pauline. For Celia, these are “ecologists and for Christiane Taubira”. Jérémy leans towards Taubira too and Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Everyone sums up their will for this primary: “Union”, “commitment” and “hope”, respectively for Célia, Jérémy and Pauline. “Listen to us, candidates, please!”, throws a smile on Jérémy’s lips to conclude. Result of this popular Primary on January 30.