Metro ticket in hand, sneakers on your feet ... it is better to be well equipped, because the ride will be sporty.
The head of the list supported by the Socialists for the regional elections in Île-de-France, Audrey Pulvar, gave us an appointment at the Saint-Lazare station, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.
But this is only the first step.
In the hall of this railway “hub” which serves the west of Paris, the Yvelines or even Normandy, the head of the list for “Île-de-France en commun” is difficult to follow - and to hear.
The challenge is set: we will have to intercept as much information as possible between two RATP announcements.
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In the middle of Ile-de-France residents, Audrey Pulvar walks the corridors with her eyes closed.
"
The stations are places where I feel at home
", underlines the former journalist, also assistant to the town hall of Paris near the mayor (PS) Anne Hidalgo.
And for good reason.
In 1986, when she arrived from Martinique to move to the capital, the 14-year-old teenager made a "
point of honor
" to memorize the metro and bus network.
A way for her to "
know
" the city and move in complete "
freedom
".
"
In Martinique, there is no transport at all, I had the feeling of being locked up
", she comments.
"People recognize me but say to themselves that it is not me"
After going around the station, the candidate turns to the crowded corridors of the RER.
This time, in the direction of Gare du Nord, this "
station in Europe
" which enabled Audrey Pulvar, in the pre-Covid world, to take express trips to Lille for the duration of a play.
Along the way, a few surprised glances fall on the former journalist.
“
People often recognize me, even with the mask on, but they tell themselves it's not me, they think I'm traveling in a helicopter adorned with diamonds,
” laughs the head of the list.
Casual but perfect brushing, leaning against the window of an old Parisian train, it is true that his presence can surprise.
Read also: Audrey Pulvar promises an organic and sustainable Paris
Audrey Pulvar's attachment to Ile-de-France transport has made it the flagship theme of her campaign.
If she is elected, she wants "
all young people under 18 and all 18-25 job seekers
" to be able "
to travel free of charge throughout the Ile-de-France region
", from September 1.
"
It will be an incredible feeling of freedom"
, she assures, explaining also wanting to tackle the problem of safety on board: "
With the free service, hundreds of agents will be able to be deployed on the network and become mediators. .
It is not a question of making them police or security agents, but of improving relations between travelers and reassuring them.
"
"It's me who sets the course"
On the way to our third stage, Audrey Pulvar also talks about her link to Île-de-France, a region she has traveled since her adolescence.
Cachan, Montrouge, Juvisy, Montreuil ... "
I never stay somewhere very long
," admits the candidate.
“
I'm a little fish who always jumps out of the nets,
” she adds.
Read also: Single-sex meetings: Audrey Pulvar explains her controversial remarks
In politics too, Audrey Pulvar prefers to swim in open water. Before embarking on the regional, she set three conditions for her candidacy: to carry ideas "
resolutely left
", to carry out a "
republican campaign
" and especially not to confine herself to being "
a pretty head of poster
". "
I said it from the start: I will be on the front line so I am the one who sets the course, the proposals and the list, in consultation of course with those who support me
", assumes the candidate. His positions have also sometimes sown trouble among the Socialists, even drawing the wrath of some. "
That's why I prefer the field,
" she slips bitterly.
Read also: Audrey Pulvar: a new accident on the road to the presidential election for Anne Hidalgo
Arriving at the Forum des Halles - the end point of our itinerancy - Audrey Pulvar is delighted to show us what “
her playground
” was when she spent her days at the Beaubourg library located a few steps away.
But as our meeting draws to a close, the candidate is caught up in the news: one of her head of the departmental list has just resigned and has launched an appeal for a union of the three left forces currently in the running.
What destabilize the Ile-de-France?
"
These are human relationships, there are good times and bad times, I'm not going to repaint everything pink and say that it's a big family in which everything is going well, but we're getting there!"
“, Wants to believe Audrey Pulvar.
The previous episode of our series:
Regional: Ile-de-France stroll with Laurent Saint-Martin
