“Unfortunately, I am not surprised!
says Véronique, seated at the foot of the giant screen erected on one of the walls of the Lou Pascalou bar.
In this establishment in the 20th arrondissement, a few steps from the Ménilmontant metro station, cries of disappointment and boos broke out when the names of the two finalists in the first round of the presidential election appeared.
"Here, it's a neighborhood that votes on the left," continues the 60-year-old resident.
I had imagined this trifecta Macron – Le Pen – Mélenchon, but I suspected that we would have the same second round as five years ago, ”she regrets.
And Jean-Luc-Mélenchon's score, beyond 20%, was not enough to make this Parisian citizen smile again.
On the next table, Virginie sang the count, filmed the scene, annoyed, although she felt "that it didn't smell good", a few minutes from discovering the results.
This visual artist and actress does not hide her disappointment.
"It's a nightmare," she insists.
It's hard.
If there hadn't been all these dispersions on the left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon would be in the second round.
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Among his friends present at his side, Michel, also resents other candidates.
“Roussel, Artaud, Poutou… Without them, we would be there!
he laments.
Virginie also quotes "Anne Hidalgo", and says she is "surprised by Emmanuel Macron's score".
She continues: “we had no idea it would be so high, it's almost hard to believe.
This dear president did not make a real campaign, he does not have the merit of other candidates”.
“No useful vote in two weeks”
For these longtime friends, already present five years ago at the Lou Pascalou to experience this electoral evening, as for Véronique, “there will be no useful vote” in two weeks.
“I will go and vote blank, even if it doesn't count, because I have always voted, but I will not be doing one or the other a favor,” she insists.
“It's a risk, but I won't move either, adds Virginie, who is counting more on the legislative elections to try to remobilise.
Whatever the result, Macron or Le Pen, it's a disaster.
“We are not going to move for that, continues Nicole.
Too many subjects are being undermined at the moment: culture, education, attacks on secularism, democracy”.
Fatna and Sevinç also regret the content of the debates during this campaign.
“We would have liked to talk about the hospital, education, employment, public service, but instead, everything focused on security and immigration, and that will continue”.
Installed later, a table of friends, young employees also disappointed, have nevertheless planned to move on April 24.
“We will go to vote, unless something happens during the between-two rounds”, assures Basile, while Jean-Luc Mélenchon finally appeared on the screen, to the applause of these regulars.
“I hate them both, Macron and Le Pen, continues Côme, his neighbor.
But I still prefer that it is not the extreme right in power.
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At Lou Pascalou, the organizers had even decided to replay the election, asking customers to establish their top 5, like a “Quinté +”.
On a small piece of paper, five names to write and an estimated percentage of votes, with the aim of finding the first five candidates in this first round in order.
The "results" are expected in the evening.