The meeting could have taken place at the Saint-Lazare station, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, as his team wished. At the same time metro station, SNCF station and junction point to link the various Parisian suburbs, the place was perfect for a most ordinary program run, ranging from security to public transport, including employment. But the regional election candidate for La République en Marche (LREM), Laurent Saint-Martin, whose figure is still little known to the general public, preferred to take control to add a more personal touch. The appointment is therefore given to the west of the capital, under the Grande Arche de La Défense located in the town of Puteaux (Hauts-de-Seine). The candidate is lucky: after a day of pouring rain, the skyis briefly cleared.
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Sitting at the top of the steps in the forecourt of La Défense, offering a perfect perspective of Paris as far as the Arc de Triomphe, Laurent Saint-Martin takes a brief look back.
For this native of Toulouse, whose studies and the beginning of his career took place in the North, the Ile-de-France business district marked his first steps in the region.
Transferred from Hauts-de-France at the age of 28, he came to work on the 21st floor of a metal building that he points to, housing the premises of the Public Investment Bank.
A position he held until 2017 before joining Emmanuel Macron, then a presidential candidate.
"I want to be the bearer of work"
“
I have always wanted to get involved
,” he points out, referring to his past experiences in NGOs, associations or even a “social and democratic” Think tank.
“
Engagement is something you either have or don't have.
I got started very quickly with En Marche!
because I found that Emmanuel Macron was putting into practice basic ideas that I shared,
”smiles the now deputy for Val-de-Marne, also general rapporteur for the budget at the National Assembly.
To read also: Laurent Saint-Martin: "In 2021, we go from the defensive to the offensive"
If the place is strong in personal anecdotes - "
we all have an entry into Île-de-France at some point in our history, me, it's this one
" - the candidate's speech quickly takes over. “
Here, we are at the heart of my issues.
In one sentence, the decor turns into a country object. “
It's Île-de-France at work, and I want to be the bearer of work in our region.
"Then follows a well-crafted sequence of flagship measures of its program: establishment of" third places "dedicated to teleworking to reduce travel time, regional police to secure high schools and public transport, land use planning to create "islets of France" ... "
Defense is life before the crisis, we have to rethink everything and seize the many opportunities that are offered to us
”, asserts Laurent Saint-Martin who confides, in passing, having made the decision to embark on the campaign. "
Thanks to the Covid
".
“
It got me thinking and gave me innovative ideas for the region,
” he says.
"Polls are volatile"
"
The Grande Arche, it should be like that all the time
," insists the elected representative, showing us an empty square than usual - teleworking requires. "
If I am elected, we will meet at La Défense in six years and it will have become a new symbol: we can say that habits have changed and that innovative responses have been made,
" swears the candidate. If we can blame him for a lack of notoriety, the macronist does not lack assurance. He justifies his "
niaque
" by the certainty of being "
the only one to be really there for the regional, and not to use this election as a personal or partisan springboard.
To hear him, one would almost believe that the mandate of regional president is within reach.
The polls do not, however, lean in his favor, and his candidacy peaks at around 11%.
“
It goes from 11 to 17%,
” he corrects.
"
The polls are volatile,
" slips the deputy, as if to reassure himself.
To read also: Laurent Saint-Martin, a Walker who struggles to impose himself in the regional debate
Aware of not yet rousing the crowds - "
I need someone to identify me,
" insists the candidate when taking the photo to justify removing his mask - his candidacy has not made it either. unanimity within the presidential majority. Her inauguration in February was followed by the departure of some MoDem elected officials to the ranks of the outgoing president (Libres!), Valérie Pécresse. "
There will always be people to say negative things, but you should not be concerned about those who want to trip you up
", sweeps the Francilien.
Recently joined by the Minister for Citizenship, Marlène Schiappa, to lead his list in Paris, Laurent Saint-Martin wants to believe that his regular trips in the field are bearing fruit.
"
Is that enough today?"
Probably not,
”he tempers.
“
We still have to accelerate the campaign, and local elections are often played on a final sprint.
National news also crushes the match, and it's very short, six weeks,
”blows the deputy.
Read also: Regional: the start of Marlène Schiappa's drumbeat campaign
Laurent Saint-Martin, however, remains focused. "
What am I going to do anyway?" Stay at my place ? Politics are ideas that we defend with actions that we try to put in place, I cannot put myself in another perspective,
”he argues. And to add: “
Anyway, you shouldn't regret anything, it has always been my way of doing things.
In the meantime, the candidate takes advantage of our meeting to go see his former colleagues. "
It's been four years since I last came back here
."
