A government labeled ... manipulative. For the past few days, the opposition has been mobilizing against the government's decision to no longer assign political color to candidates in municipalities of less than 9,000 inhabitants during the municipal elections in March. This threshold was only 1000 inhabitants until then. Nothing less than a "scandal", according to the president of LR, Christian Jacob, for whom "the Minister of the Interior has obviously chosen the partisan interest of The Republic on the march at the expense of the general interest ".
The boss of the right should detail Sunday the conditions of an appeal he will bring against the circular signed by Christophe Castaner. Marine Le Pen, who denounces "shabby manipulation", is also working on an appeal before the Council of State while the PS is working with its lawyers on the subject. What is it about? The “nuance” consists for the prefecture in cataloging the lists which are presented among 22 different political categories (for example socialist, various right or even, new in 2022, yellow vests).
It is this "nuance" which allows the Ministry of the Interior to deliver "in an intelligible manner and in large political blocs" the results on a national scale on election night. And which therefore colors the electoral map. By no longer taking into account cities with fewer than 9,000 inhabitants, the government excludes 96% of French municipalities and 52% of the electorate. Hence the accusations of political manipulation: it is in urban areas that LREM records its best results. En Marche, which does not expect a feat at the municipal level due to its lack of local presence, would thus reduce electoral damage.
"A doubt about the quality of public information"
"Half of the population is not included in the results, what contempt for peripheral France!" “, We choke in the entourage of Marine Le Pen where we also fear that this could have an influence on the dynamics of the second round. "This can demobilize an electorate the evening of the first," argues the RN, where we know that electoral successes are inversely proportional to the size of the municipalities.
"The Castaner circular creates a doubt about the quality of public information," worries political scientist Olivier Rouquan. “In the boroughs and the communes of 4000 or 5000 inhabitants, the lists can also be politicized. This is all the more problematic as it is this France, that of the Yellow Vests, which has recently stood out in the public debate. "
"Some might argue that the nuance threshold should be lower because it is true that, even at 3,500 inhabitants, the debates can be political. It also depends on the history of each municipality, "said François Baroin, president of the Association of Mayors of France (AMF) a few days ago. Echoing the discontent of mayors who were given a political shade against their will by Place Beauvau, his association was in favor of raising the nuance threshold to ... 3500 inhabitants. But not at 9000!
At the Ministry of the Interior, this choice is justified by technical arguments: the threshold of 3500 would not correspond to anything in electoral matters, unlike the figure of 9000 inhabitants from which candidates have the obligation to appoint a financial agent.
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At the AMF, we prefer to put things in perspective: in 2014, 71% of the municipalities were not already politically nuanced. As for the Ministry of the Interior, it is keen to clear mine. Arbitrations must still be rendered, he said, to know if, on the evening of the municipal elections, could be integrated, in one way or another, the results of the cities of less than 9000 inhabitants in which the candidates have chosen a label. Answer in principle at a press conference on January 23.