“Being credible on socio-economic issues over the coming months”. This is, according to Florent Gougou, political science researcher at Sciences Po Grenoble, the challenge of Yannick Jado. The presidential candidate EELV presented his program on Saturday January 29, in Lyon. “The gloom that seems attached to [sa] candidacy is first and foremost that of all left-wing candidates”, added the political scientist, guest of franceinfo.
franceinfo: Can Yannick Jadot’s campaign dynamics change?
The electoral campaign, since it was launched, since last September, has been completely vampirized by what is happening on the right of the political spectrum and the match which seems to have begun between Eric Zemmour, Marine Le Pen and in which slipped Valérie Pécresse following the Congress of Republicans. And the gloom that seems attached to Yannick Jadot’s candidacy is first and foremost that of all left-wing candidates. The diagnosis that is made by observers of political life is first of all that of a formidable division, without discussing what they are proposing and what a left-wing presidency could be after the election. ‘presidential election.
How should Yannick Jadot bring together more than just environmental activists?
Yannick Jadot, his electorate is largely on the left. And in this context, he has a main opponent who is Jean-Luc Mélenchon. He must position himself in relation to this opponent in the first round. We understood that both intended to maintain their candidacy until April 2022. And basically, they want it to be the voters who arbitrate who is the best candidate on the left.
What the latest opinion polls say is that Yannick Jadot is considered by the entire electorate to be the most credible candidate on ecology, and that Jean-Luc Mélenchon is considered to be the most credible on issues of purchasing power.
Florent Gougouat franceinfo
So, we can clearly see that these are the two main themes of the concerns of left-wing voters. For the moment, the fact that there is a form of balance between the two candidates is largely due to the fact that neither manages to be credible on the two issues at the same time. This is one of Yannick Jadot’s challenges: to be credible on socio-economic issues over the coming months.
Can the result of the popular primary change its positioning, whether or not it comes first on Sunday?
The popular primary is to remember the small crown of horses. Who is the best candidate, without discussing the concerns of the French, and how could the left-wing candidates impose an agenda that is favorable to them? For the moment, the agenda is largely dominated by questions of identity around the Zemmour-Le Pen duo. And it is difficult to hear the concerns of left-wing voters. Perhaps the popular primary will help settle the question of candidacy. I very strongly doubt it. For the left, the challenge will remain the same: try to impose its themes at the center of public debate. And there is a lot of work to be done there.