“We will be neighbors,” says the mayor of Beaucaire Nelson Chaudon to his predecessor Julien Sanchez, who left his mandate as mayor this summer for that of European parliamentarian. A parliamentarian who inaugurated his office this Saturday morning, right next to the town hall, in the presence of the president of the National Rally Jordan Bardella.
The link between European Parliament and municipal elections was not only geographical this morning, since Julien Sanchez was appointed campaign director of the RN for the 2026 municipal elections. The one who snatched victory from Beaucaire ten years ago has hammered, “Ten years later, we are still here, and we will stay. » The municipal elections which constitute, for the moment, the next stop for the RN, with one objective: to keep the town halls acquired, and to look for new ones.
“We are counting on you so that Nelson (Chaudon, editor’s note) is elected and to seek out countless other municipalities in the Gard and the entire regionwill launch Jordan Bardella in front of a crowd of 150 people committed to the cause, but also around forty opponents who are as angry as they are vocal. The most beautiful battles are ahead of us. » And the president of the RN to rely on the upward trajectory of the far-right party (“two years ago, there were six of us in the National Assembly, today 143 with our allies of Eric Ciotti”, “we have the largest national delegation in the European Parliament ahead of the German CDU”), with executives convinced, Julien Sanchez will say, that “the people are with us, our time has come. » The legal setbacks of Marine Le Pen, who will only be cited once in all the speeches, and again at the end of that of Jordan Bardella to say that she is “extremely strong”seem far away.
This Saturday morning, during the inauguration of Julien Sanchez's office in Beaucaire • Photo : Thierry Allard
Europe will still be a question, since we inaugurated the permanence of a European parliamentarian. “This mandate is important, many things are decided in Brussels and Strasbourgwill begin Julien Sanchez. I go there to be your voice, I give everything to defend you and carry your demands. » Later, Jordan Bardella will take up the elements of language by discussing the situation of farmers: “we have always been at their side. » Applause. More broadly, the president of the RN will affirm that “the choices on migration, agricultural and industrial issues will determine whether France will live in the 21st century, and we are determined that it will continue to live. »
Before the speeches and in conclusion, the oils of the RN and their supporters will sing the Marseillaise, undoubtedly also to cover the songs of the opponents, around forty people came to the call of the association Citizen, anti-racist and anti-fascist action to Beaucaire. Laure Cordelet, its president, will emphasize that it was “very important to fight against the RN in Beaucaire even if there are not very many of us, because we must not think that all Beaucaire is RN. » To do this, she was able to count on the mobilization of members of the No Pasaran Vaucluse collective, but also, among others, activists from France Insoumise.
Around forty opponents demonstrated, and were pushed back a few meters by the police • Photo : Thierry Allard
“The RN is a sham, with the antisocial and discriminatory management of Beaucaire, and at the national level the betrayal of its electorate, who voted RN to fire Macron, and Barnier is only holding on thanks to the support of the RN”denounces the rebel Charles Ménard. The demonstrators, after some tense exchanges with the police who asked them, at the start of the demonstration, to move back a few meters, then planned to go to the site of the signing session of Jordan Bardella's book.
Opponents then went to demonstrate at the site of Jordan Bardella's signing session • Photo : Thierry Allard
Some of his supporters did not wait to glean an autograph from the president of the RN by handing him their copy of “What I am looking for” as soon as the ribbon was cut at the office, while the opponents continued to make themselves heard. “These are the same people who are campaigning to ban my book in bookstoresJordan Bardella had said of them a little earlier. But the more they want to prevent us from speaking, the more the French listen to us. »
And also
The Latina sin frontera association, which defends the interests of the South American community of Beaucaire, was also present this morning. “There is a significant Latina population in Beaucaire, at least 4,000 people out of 16,000 inhabitants”affirms the secretary of the association and elected opposition member Luc Perrin. The association requests to be considered by the town hall: “We tried to collaborate but it was refusedsays Luc Perrin. We give French lessons, but we have no help from the town hall, no room. Our presence today is to show that in Beaucaire, there is also this Latina population, it is a significant part of the population that we do not want to see. »
