Is a consensus emerging on regional elections?
From LFI to the RN, via EELV, the PS, LR and the majority, if no one is without reservation, no one is either blocking the hypothesis of a postponement of the vote in June 2021 in because of the epidemic.
This is what emerges from the consultations carried out by Jean-Louis Debré who is due to submit his report to Jean Castex this Friday at 11:30 am.
This was the mission of the former president of the Constitutional Council: to calm the debates, after the controversies over the maintenance of the first round of municipal elections and, even more lively, against a background of accusations of tampering, caused last June by the proposal Emmanuel Macron to postpone the regional ones.
“We interviewed nearly 70 people, the presidents of the National Assembly and the Senate, the heads of political parties, parliamentary groups, the heads of associations of elected officials, a great many scientists and then a certain number of personalities who have administrative responsibilities like the president of the CSA ”, confides Jean-Louis Debré, to whom elected officials from all over France have also written.
"If we can go to a restaurant, we can go and vote…"
He was, he said, "very pleasantly surprised" by the tone of these exchanges.
"Each time, we tried together to find solutions," adds the one who continued to write his report on Thursday.
Jean Castex will address it to the party leaders, with a letter from his pen asking for their opinions on its content.
The Prime Minister will then deliver his decision.
“It will be a matter of days, slips a relative.
I don't think there are any surprises, June is consensus.
"
It prevents.
The screen of consensus contains many nuances.
Because each one remains on his guard and the weapon at the foot.
Thus LR - like the RN - warns that there is no question of going beyond June.
“I saw Jean-Louis Debré for a long time and I told him that if we can go to a restaurant, we can go and vote.
No to the trembling hand for democracy.
But, we can consider a postponement that does not exceed the month of June because the electoral campaign must be able to take place in good conditions, ”informs us the President of the Senate, Gérard Larcher.
Certain regional LR presidents fear in particular a “chip jump” strategy consisting of pushing back the regional ones in several times to better bury them.
Ditto on the PS side - "LREM has not stopped hoping to postpone this ballot after the presidential election, because it is a high-risk ballot for the president," said Olivier Faure.
Uncertain campaign modalities
“We've been hearing this from the start.
If there is a consensus on the June date, I think we will have to stick to it.
Uncertainty does not mix well with democracy and with the holding of elections, ”sweeps back the general delegate of LREM, Stanislas Guerini.
The fact remains that mistrust is also on the side of the majority.
“I have a bitter memory of the municipal elections, where our opponents, in particular LR, rolled on the ground for the elections to be held, and then reproached us for having held them.
If they don't behave responsibly, well we'll do the regional ones in March!
", Thunders the president of the MoDem group to the Assembly, Patrick Mignola, who explained his reservations to Jean-Louis Debré:" It would be better to march so that we talk about the regions.
If we postpone them to June, we risk being a little polluted by the presidential debate.
"
The date of the election fixed, will remain, believes Guerini, to work "on the modalities of the campaign".
Earlier this week, on France Info, the rebellious Adrien Quatennens was worried in advance, in the event of a new wave, about the possibility of leading a real electoral battle.
Not to mention that the debate is rising (including in the majority) on the postal vote.
Suffice to say that the discussions are far from over.