Will Lille have to return to the polls?
Martine Aubry's two rivals in the last municipal elections, the green Stéphane Baly and the walker Violette Spillebout hope so, denouncing Thursday, February 18 in court a series of “
irregularities
” during the ballot won by 227 votes by the socialist councilor.
Read also: Lille: Martine Aubry narrowly reelected against environmentalists
In his advisory opinion sent to the parties on Tuesday February 16 and revealed by France 3, the public rapporteur, whose opinion is generally followed, however advocated a rejection on the merits of these requests, which will be examined by the administrative court of Lille.
"
Curious to discover her motivations
", Violette Spillebout nevertheless told AFP her "
confidence
" in justice.
“
It's an important opinion, but not the decision.
We are calmly awaiting the court's decision
, ”commented Martine Aubry's 2nd deputy, Arnaud Deslandes.
On the evening of the second round on June 29, Martine Aubry is a survivor of the green wave that is sweeping over several large cities, but also of a campaign that she wins with nothing, in front of her ex-ally in the municipal council, Stéphane Baly (39.4%), ahead of his own former chief of staff Violette Spillebout (20.6%) in a triangular way.
But the fourth term of the former Minister of Labor, 70, was barely recorded during the city council of July 3 when his two rivals announced appeals.
Two main types of arguments will be raised by opponents of Martine Aubry: on the authenticity of the ballot and on the irregularities during the campaign.
Regarding irregularities, the main complaint relates to differences in signatures on the voting registers between the two rounds.
“
On 70 polling stations verified out of 130, we noted more than 350 different signatures.
And the immensity of them is radically different
”, affirms Me Muriel Ruef, lawyer of the EELV list.
What "
alter the sincerity of the ballot
", supports Me Héloïse Hicter, for the Spillebout list.
Read also: Municipal: these results that the executive struggles to reveal
On the campaign itself, two elements singularly made the opposition tick.
First what she denounces as the hiring by the town hall, the day after the first round, of the boxer Licia Boudersa, figure of the popular district of Bois-Blancs.
The three-time featherweight world champion would have "
agreed to be a relay of opinion on the Aubry list in return for a job
", denounces Me Hicter.
Contacted by AFP, the boxer did not follow up.
An email sent before the first round to the majority of associations in Lille, calling on them to support Martine Aubry, is also in the viewfinder: it was sent, from her personal box, by the president of the ALFPH, an association which campaigns for the social link, largely financed by the town hall.
This official has since pleaded with
La Voix du Nord
a "
referral error
", but for opposition lawyers, there was "
use of the means of the municipality
" to guide the outcome of the ballot.
The Spillebout list also denounces "
a confusion of Martine Aubry's twitter accounts
", her "
official mayor's account referring to that of candidate
", or even the use of the town hall "
as a local campaign
".
If they were to win the legal victory, the two former candidates say they are "
ready
" to go back to campaign.
