In Le Havre, the 2020 municipal campaign will be remembered as one of the most violent episodes in local political history. Edouard Philippe's meeting on Thursday evening at the village hall in Graville was another illustration. No less than 250 gendarmes were mobilized to secure a public meeting where the participants - almost as many - had to show their feet to enter a perimeter placed under guard.
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An hour before the start of the interventions, a hundred CGT activists and "yellow vests" also loudly demonstrated outside, causing tear gas, whose white swirls swirled in the freezing wind of the beginning of March. Faced with these tensions, traders have closed their stores every day. A few days ago, the Prime Minister's permanence was tagged.
"Thank you to those who came and who braved the cold and hot protesters," began the Prime Minister, in a blue suit and tie. Édouard Philippe knows this: he has become a target for city dockers, "yellow vests" and supporters of the communist Jean-Paul Le Coq, his main opponent in the municipal elections. His detractors are struggling to nationalize the ballot and to send Edouard Philippe back to his role as tenant of Matignon.
Presentation of construction sites
For two hours, the mayoral candidate dodged the trap. Not a word on current events: pensions, 49-3, coronavirus, migrants on the Greek border ... Instead, he gave a methodical presentation of the projects he intends to carry out, if he is elected. Renovation of the Gagarin stadium, third tram line, planting of trees, development of the university, additional places in a crèche, surveillance cameras: the elected official promises to continue transforming the city, which he won in 2014 first round. "It's like cycling, you have to keep up the momentum so as not to fall," he argued before the audience, in which we recognize many plainclothes police.
On stage, the Prime Minister paces to present the program on his list. He speaks without note, while illustrations scroll on a giant screen behind him. It looks like attending a conference. The former mayor seems comfortable with the files, detailing them in a slightly technocratic style. The room, far from being full, listens wisely. No applause comes to chant his long presentation, except at the time of the final Marseillaise.
There are two supporters near the exit like no other. They came specially from Paris to support their friend. It is the Minister of Communities Sébastien Lecornu and the Hauts-de-Seine deputy Thierry Solère. Two former traveling companions from the LR era. At 9 p.m., the meeting comes to an end. Edouard Philippe harangues for the first time his troops: “Go see what you like and ask them if what we are wearing is going in the right direction. And if they want it to continue. " The last poll (Ipsos for Cnews) gave 42% of voting intentions for his list. A good score in absolute terms, but the Prime Minister has no reserve of votes, facing the left and the RN. Suddenly, more cautious than enthusiastic, he repeated to his relatives: "It will be very tight".