In the popular district of Sainte-Geneviève, in Auxerre, teenagers take advantage of the first mild evenings of spring to kick the ball. This Thursday, it's the big evening crowds on the asphalt of Place Degas. A few hundred left-wing sympathizers mingle with young footballers while waiting for the La Ruche association hall to open its doors. A gala poster on the walls announces the arrival of François Ruffin. The emblematic LFI deputy is spending a few hours in Yonne to give a boost to the campaign of Manon Aubry, the head of the list of La France Insoumise for the European elections.
“Our main adversary is resignation. There is no fatality. We can win!”
, he will say on stage a few moments later.
Here, in Auxerre, like everywhere else, everyone knows that François Ruffin is much more than a simple deputy who has come to defend his candidate's list. It's no secret: he is seriously considering being a candidate in the 2027 presidential election, and therefore replacing Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Walking the roads of France is also a way for him to take care of his territorial network, to take the temperature of the militant bases.
“I have to get rid of my heart
,” the deputy for Somme – who did not respond to requests from Le
Figaro –
readily admitted in front of the audience .
"He prepares himself"
Has his decision already been made? His regular interlocutors repeat it