Starting a legislative campaign with a farewell party is a bit comical.
However, this is what Jean-Luc Mélenchon did this Thursday evening in Marseille, during an "aperitif of the Popular Union" which was more like a meeting, or even a speech on general policy.
It was still necessary to wait 50 minutes for the third man in the presidential election (22%), who was speaking on a square in the popular district of Joliette, to put an end to a real false suspense.
No, the tribune will not seek a new mandate in his Marseille constituency where he has been elected since 2017. Why?
“Because Bompard is going to be a candidate,” he says, pointing to MEP Manuel Bompard, whom he had brought in his luggage.
" Of the Prime Ministers who have not been deputies, there have been 6 "
“He is one of the most eminent figures of the new generation of Insoumis.
I entrust it to you, you have to love it, ”jokes Mélenchon, pointing to the 36-year-old MEP, who has made himself indispensable in recent months, first by directing his presidential campaign, then by overseeing the negotiations which led to the federating of left-wing forces within the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (Nupes).
And then incidentally, in June, Jean-Luc Mélenchon still plans to go to Matignon.
"We will win and I will be Prime Minister", he promises to the applause of the more than 200 people present, even predicting "that we will be present in the second round in 80% of the constituencies, and if we have a participation of ten points of better, in 90%”.
He brushes aside criticism of his lack of legitimacy to target Matignon without being a deputy.
" Of the Prime Ministers who were not deputies, there were 6 out of 24 in the Fifth Republic, he calculates.
And the last is the one that is in place.
He also recalls in passing that 7.7 million French people gave him their vote on April 10.
“Yes, the third round does exist!
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“Mélenchon Prime Minister”, certainly he recognizes that the formula has everything from “good successful com coup”.
But he assures, "a little flabbergasted", start to believe it.
For the Insoumis, the presidential election has not "purged" anything even if it has "clarified the picture" by bringing out three blocks: that of the liberals, that of the far right and the popular block around Nupes.
“Society is groping, looking for itself: which way is it going to go?
It is up to us to build the momentum that drives society as a whole”, he encourages, recognizing nevertheless that “without intense popular mobilization we will have great difficulty in moving forward”.
So, Mélenchon designated the enemy: Emmanuel Macron who, he said, "ransacked" the republican institutions.
“We are going to get out of the situation where a president has all the powers but no mandate.
The legislative election is the one that will give the political mandate", he undertakes before responding to Macron who, a few days ago, affirmed that "there is no third round “: “Yes the third round, it exists!
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