“We need support”, say environmentalists on the brink of the financial abyss

“There, we had a free buffet, I think we won’t have any more for a while…” This environmental activist knows that it will be necessary to take out the oars at the Greens, before slipping: “It sure makes you dizzy… We’ll see.” Yannick Jadot was eliminated in the first round of the presidential election on Sunday April 10, winning 4.7% of the votes cast.

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The environmental candidate finally finished in sixth place, without managing to equal the record of Noël Mamère in 2002, and above all below the 5% mark, synonymous with non-reimbursement of his main campaign expenses. Immediately after the announcement of the results, Sunday evening, the green candidate also launched an appeal for donations.

Ecologists had never put so much on the table for an election campaign: six million euros. By taking out the calculator, the party will have to find two million euros and even calls for donations to activists.

“Ecology is in great difficultywarns Julien Bayou, secretary general of Europe Ecology – The Greens. I’m not going to say in danger or threatened with death, but to be able to carry out the legislative elections, to be able to continue to fight battles because we know that this five-year term will need the action of environmentalists. Yes, we need support.”

The party gives itself five weeks to find the money. But the party’s co-treasurer, François Thiollet, remains optimistic. “We know how to manage in lean times, and we will do ithe says. The objective is that the financial situation does not prevent us from managing and contributing to carrying the ecology.

“The objective for us is to manage this debt so that it is extinguished in the next five years.”

François Thiollet, co-treasurer of Europe Ecology – The Greens

at franceinfo

In the meantime, Yannick Jadot and his team want to concentrate their last strength by standing up against Marine Le Pen, and calling for a vote for Emmanuel Macron on April 24.