“I brought my signature to Anne Hidalgo for ease, but at 3%, we must recognize that the political machine of the PS is dead.” This cruel observation, it is the socialist mayor of a small provincial town who entrusted it to franceinfo, Wednesday, January 5. A mayor who asks to remain anonymous but who expresses a feeling that several elected officials have told us to feel: 2022, they no longer believe in it.
And the words are harsh: many speak of “sadness”, “abandonment”, denounce “the irresponsibility of parties”. Even a mayor of a big city, close to Anne Hidalgo, privately shares her “earthquake”. “I’m afraid that we have to skip 2022”, deciphers another elected leftist, annoyed. Many therefore withdraw and focus on their local issues.
What is the problem according to these left mayors? Dispersion and lack of anticipation. A territorial advisor sums up the situation as follows: “The big left parties are no longer playing for victory, they are playing for survival.” In contact with their constituents, these elected officials have a very hard tooth. They denounce Anne Hidalgo considered too Parisian, Jean-Luc Mélenchon ambiguous on international politics, Yannick Jadot lacking in dynamics. And Christiane Taubira does not solve the problem according to them: all are wondering what the former minister is wearing, who collects 2.5% of the votes cast according to the Ifop-Fiducial barometer for LCI.
These left mayors in retreat are therefore waiting for the presidential election to pass. Even if some have already chosen to leave more or less discreetly, to leave the shores of the left for the lands of macronism. Emblematic elected officials like Olivier Klein, mayor of Clichy-sous-Bois. Within the presidential majority, it is the Territoires de Progrès party, the left wing of the macronia, which maintains contact with the elected representatives of the left. Even if some still let themselves be desired. This is the case of the mayor of Dijon, François Rebsamen, former minister of François Hollande who stepped up his actions towards Emmanuel Macron. “Rebs will rock, that’s for sure”, believes someone close to the President of the Republic.
But do not believe that Emmanuel Macron attracts all the disappointed socialist mayors, far from it. Most have not given up on their ideals and that is their drama now. Very courted, they all have on their desks a pile of sponsorship requests for 2022. Many hesitate and some say that they will not sponsor anyone.