"
Excuse me, I see you got wet,
" slips Arnaud Montebourg to the three students in front of him, soaked from head to toe.
The former Minister of the Economy had arranged to meet his supporters this Saturday afternoon for a signing session at the “Belleville Manufacture”, a luxury clothing store “made in France”, in the heart of the 2nd district of Paris.
“This is where I buy my costumes,” he
explains in the preamble.
The rain and snow falling outside are a nice test.
The former minister, interested in the presidential election, can gauge the motivation of his followers, forced to wait outside to meet health standards.
"We give each other news"
Result: a little more than a hundred supporters braved the cold to sign their book,
The Commitment
(Grasset), Arnaud Montebourg's last essay where he recounts his daily life in Bercy under François Hollande.
The crowd delighted his relatives: little relayed on social networks, the event had remained almost confidential.
This did not prevent Sylvain and his son from coming from Anthony (Hauts-de-Seine).
“
I think that with you, we can do a lot of things,” he
says to the author.
Response from the person concerned:
"Oh, good?
You think?"
Young and old alike, seduced by the character and his fight for “Made In France” for several years, want to know how to help.
Below the autographs at the bottom of the first page, the candidate almost scratches his email address.
“We give each other news,” he
breathes.
Its teams collect phone numbers.
“I'm interested in engaging with him.
With the crisis, we see that jobs must be created in France.
Her candidacy represents a reason for hope, ”
says a young woman, delighted at the idea of joining the Montebourg adventure.
According to relatives of the person concerned, two thousand people have already joined his association, which bears the same name as his book: "The Commitment".
As the presidential election approaches, it remains to put the troops in order of battle.
"Very soft, very soft"
Between two signatures, the journalists question him:
"Will you be a presidential candidate?"
.
"All in good time,"
replies the former minister.
A surprise guest enters the room: the former socialist executive Gérard Filoche.
Excluded from the PS for having shared an anti-Semitic montage on social networks, he remains a popular figure in the trade union world.
“I come because I have known Arnaud for several decades.
And then, I live right next door, ”he
explains.
The former labor inspector warns his friend against the division of the left.
"They have to sit around a table and find an agreement, otherwise the voters will kick their butt,"
he predicts.
Arnaud Montebourg promised to give him a call.
The books signed, the former socialist stands aside to respond to journalists.
Obviously, the question of his candidacy returns to the table.
“Very soft, very soft.
One step after another, ”he
sweeps away, even if he does not rule out trying his luck alone.
On the left, many wonder about the financing of a potential campaign, while millions of euros are needed - if only to reach the first round.
“This is indeed one of the subjects before us.
I can't answer at the moment, ”
he admits.
The same on the left denounce his connections with right-wing sovereignists, such as LR deputies Julien Aubert or Guillaume Peltier.
The two have greeted him publicly in recent days.
"They did not say that they supported me, they simply said that they understood me, which I already find not bad"
, corrects Arnaud Montebourg who dreams of a
"collective de Gaulle"
for France in 2022 The implication: a government that would go beyond traditional divisions ... But to hear him, all these adventures do not really interest him.
Before leaving, he ignites:
"Me, I want to leave the waters of politics!"
I want to gain height!
" An entire program.