This is the irony of political life.
Prevented, among other things, from running again in December 2016 because of the presence of his former Minister of the Economy Emmanuel Macron on the starting line, François Hollande is obliged to support the one who succeeded him at the Élysée during his re-election campaign against Marine Le Pen.
Guest of TF1 8 p.m. Thursday evening, the former President of the Republic therefore "
called on the French to vote for Emmanuel Macron
".
“
I am not here to give a moral lesson or to tell the French what they have to do.
(...).
In an election of this importance, the main thing is France, its cohesion, its European future and its independence
, ”he points out.
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According to him, "
if Marine Le Pen arrived at the Élysée, there would be three fundamental challenges
": "
A quarter of the constitution would be changed
"
,
"
France's membership of the European Union
"
,
and "
the system of alliances
" with the Western allies and NATO to get closer to "
Vladimir Putin's Russia
" as an "
ally
".
"
Simply saying
'
not a single vote for Marine Le Pen
'
is insufficient
", mocks François Hollande, who hammers it for hesitant left-wing voters: "
The vote allows Madame Le Pen not to win
".
While PS candidate Anne Hidalgo achieved a historically low score in the first round with 1.75% of the vote, and Jean-Luc Mélenchon came third in the ballot with 21.95% of the vote, François Hollande considers that the rebellious voters "
are there and are available
".
"
The left must not be in an obstacle, it must be in a hope that can allow tomorrow to have a real choice
", adds the former head of state who, moreover, kicked into touch when the question of his own candidacy for future legislative elections was mentioned.
“
I cannot bring myself to what I have worn for years, all the ideas of the left (…).
are at this level today
", he admits anyway.
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Throughout this campaign, the former President of the Republic has been quite discreet.
With the notable exception of Anne Hidalgo's meeting in Limoges, three weeks ago, where François Hollande had made an appearance to better record the announced defeat of the mayor of Paris and prepare for his return to the spotlight.
“It's up to us to be there on April 10 and the day after this election.
The country will need us.
I will take my full part in it, because it is the whole meaning of my life",
he had then launched while the ex-boss of the PS would like to launch a new "
movement
" on the left which would take over from the party at the Rose.