At the question, “Are you still in good shape?” », she replies that she has no choice. The comments made by Fabienne Colboc to her supporters reflect the state of mind of the outgoing deputies. The candidate Ensemble of the 4e constituency pays the price for the football match between France and Poland, simultaneously with its public meeting in Joué-lès-Tours, Tuesday June 25, 2024.
“We prefer to reserve ourselves for the second round”
“It’s the game of the express campaign”she comments, disappointed to welcome 35 people. She quickly recovers, galvanized by the encouragement of the convinced Macronists, many of whom have come to help. In the absence of the expected public, they also lend her a hand to change the arrangement of the chairs in a close circle around her.
Same configuration the next day, this time with the Insoumise Christelle Gobert, candidate of the New Popular Front on channel 2e constituency. After Bléré, before Amboise, she leads a meeting in her stronghold, Montlouis-sur-Loire in the presence of around forty people, including socialist and communist supporters.
Left-wing candidate Christelle Gobert surrounded by her supporters in the 2nd constituency, in Montlouis-sur-Loire, Wednesday June 26, 2024.
© (Photo NR, Rachel Herman)
Appearing rather confident, the candidate who is in her third campaign calls herself a witness and actress “of a very strong dynamic of the left”. And what does it matter if the meetings mobilize little. “People need it, especially activists,” in this context « difficile ».
Everything is also coming together at Les Républicains, where Eric Ciotti’s independent candidates spent a week reorganizing internally, in silence. A « drama » The national level is being hit hard at the local level. Since June 24, candidate Constance Balès has been trying to make up for lost time with meetings all over the 5e constituency.
In Neuvy-le-Roi, Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire or Fondettes, his choice fell on tobacco bars, a question ” Proximity “ et “conviviality”. The first brought together only around ten convinced people and former elected officials around homemade cakes made by the activists.
The RN with absent subscribers?
More busy torpedoing their adversaries than developing their ideas, Together, the New Popular Front or The Republicans report a lesser presence, even ” nothing “ of the National Rally on the ground. The local voice of the party, François Ducamp, objects.
“That’s not true and I can say exactly the same thing about them.. We are in the markets, in mailboxes, door-to-door. » Only one meeting was held, instigated by the candidate Jean-François Bellanger, Monday June 24.
But François Ducamp does not hide his difficulty in finding welcoming communities. “In any case, we prefer to reserve ourselves for the second round and concentrate our efforts on the ground. » Candidate in 5ehe is already preparing meetings in Fondettes and Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire, the last town remaining for him to conquer.
A deleterious atmosphere outside
While meetings between the convinced remain good-natured, tensions are felt outside. LR activists say they are insulted when they come across RN activists handing out leaflets. Fair enough, since François Ducamp claims that every time a New Popular Front poster is freshly stuck on an official billboard, the RN poster is “systematically” torn down, even though this practice is illegal. “We stick it, we re-stick it and we stick it again.” Another incident was reported on X by Sandra Barbier, a left-wing candidate on channel 3e. His team confirms that it took place at the rugby flea market, in Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, on June 23. “My team endures insults, slanderous accusations of anti-Semitism and observes Nazi salutes against them accompanied by praise for Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen. The dustbin of history awaits you and we are the ones who will throw you in! »
