And one, and two, and five more!
Between the ola, the tifos, the slogans and the fog horns, the atmosphere was worthy of a football match in the stands of La Défense Aréna.
One week before the first round of the presidential election,
the candidate president held his first and only meeting in Nanterre this Saturday, April 2.
With a capacity of 40,000 seats, the largest performance hall in Europe welcomed nearly 30,000 activists who came to show their support for Emmanuel Macron.
"This is the instruction that was given to us: to be the supporters of a football team as part of this meeting", explains Louis, student in business school and member of JAM (Youth with Macron).
Behind him, young activists are screaming, shouting revamped slogans and waving French and European flags.
"It respects the codes of a football match but it also respects the codes of a political meeting in general", comments Matthis, also in business school.
"Since it's the only meeting, I think it's absolutely not disproportionate," said another JAM a little further in the stands.
It's a big moment.
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For this key moment for Emmanuel Macron, while some accuse him of leading a ghost campaign, LREM wanted to innovate to galvanize the crowds.
Ideas that were not all to Victor's taste, a student who came there “to get an idea”.
“I found the competition organized to fill the room a little special, he admits.
We expect that more from an influencer than from a presidential candidate.
To fill the Arena, the walkers organized a contest giving prizes to activists who managed to attract the most people to the meeting.
If they were almost full, empty seats were still visible in a few sparse stands.
Read alsoPresidential: in a meeting, Macron calls not to believe "those who say that the election is already over"
Emmanuel Macron spoke alone, on a circular stage set up to allow him to move around and take in the whole room.
"It's very warm, he is in the middle of us, not in front of us", appreciates an activist in the stands.
For nearly two and a half hours, the candidate defended his record before presenting his program for France and for Europe.
A few people briefly entered the room during the speech, brandishing a "Criminel Climatik" banner, to denounce climate inaction, before being quickly evacuated by the security services.
The speech, a little long, won the support of activists.
"He wowed us," says Annida, consultant, at the end of the meeting.
“I found his speech brilliant.
It was good to listen to him as a candidate and not president, ”says Daniel, heading for the exit.