Is the RN on the threshold of the Assembly in Haute-Vienne? While the extreme right has monopolized the European elections, the campaign is turning into a confrontation between the left and the central bloc.
“It’s the National Assembly. » The Limoges Community Council is usually a place for civilized exchanges. But this Thursday evening, it had the feel of the Palais Bourbon. The situation must be serious for the exhortations to “clean your house” to fly between Guillaume Guérin, instigator of the Republican Alternative, and the elected socialists, support of the New Popular Front.
An explosive “neither-nor”
Mayor of Vayrac and deputy of Manon Meunier, “a dangerous extremist”, he says ironically, Jean-Yves Rigout opened the show, to express “his amazement” at a letter sent by Guillaume Guérin, in certain sectors of Limoges metropolis. “Were the Alternative candidates mandated to support the Government’s policy or to strengthen the RN?”, he asks. “What do Mrs. Négrier, Mrs. Tayot and Mr. Toulza think of the legal retirement age, the increase in salaries, the freezing of prices of basic necessities, or the strengthening of essential public services (school, health, transport, etc.)”, he lists, in a message validated by the NFP.
In this letter, Guillaume Guérin devotes the longest paragraph to referring LFI to its support for “notorious anti-Semites like Rima Hassan”, “a few homophobes” and even “S-listed people”. “This New Popular Front, which would shame Léon Blum, is very poorly named”, he adds. Guillaume Guérin signs this message in his capacity as president of the urban community. “What the president expresses, as president, should represent the entire assembly”, underlines Géneviève Leblanc. The elected representative from Limoges recounts the accusations of “useful idiot of Hamas” and “apology for terrorism” of which she is the subject. “When here, the deputies support people who burned down the Cars relay, that poses a problem for me”, Guillaume Guérin berates.
In a divided agricultural world, more than 170 farmers from Haute-Vienne support the New Popular Front
While the RN came out on top in 190 of the 195 communes of Haute-Vienne, in the European elections, these exchanges sum up the nature of the public debate in Haute-Vienne, which seems to be polarizing around a possible second-round choice between the RN and LFI. According to Guillaume Guérin, at least two left-wing elected officials in the urban community refuse this choice. The central bloc is leaving open the possibility of a potentially explosive “neither-nor”. “We are left-wing elected officials who have blocked the way,” recalls Olivier Ducourtieux (PS). “I will also see if it is happening on the other side.”
Guillaume Guérin, for his part, maintains his position of non-withdrawal. “If you are in front and I maintain my candidacies, that suits you,” he emphasizes. The commitment of the president of LR symbolizes in itself the erasure of the Macronist, whose motives can be perplexing. Two years ago, Les Républicains had contributed to defeating Sophie Beaudouin-Hubière and her substitute Isabelle Négrier, whom they support today.
” Scam “
The outgoing Damien Maudet and Manon Meunier are particularly concerned by this policy of “neither RN nor LFI”. And what does it matter if they claim more to François Ruffin, instigator of the NFP, or Clémentine Autain, than to Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The MP’s participation in the Sainte-Soline demonstrations constitutes Guillaume Guérin’s strong argument. “Your candidate did not have to go to a prohibited demonstration,” he judges. “Who are you to give good points to the right and the left? », retorts Thierry Miguel.
In Haute-Vienne, the Republican Alternative does not differentiate between the union of the left and the extreme right
The day before, at the Limoges city council, Émile Roger Lombertie had mocked, without naming it, the New Popular Front, “all united to defend his position as deputy”. “We were warned,” he added, “the polls and some personalities (including Michel Onfray) had warned us, the people despised by their elites, will make their voices heard at the ballot box.”
“The right continues to prevent its left-wing opposition from expressing itself on the danger of the RN coming to power by talking about nonsense,” regrets its opponent Thierry Miguel, on X (ex-Twitter). “Guillaume Guérin’s pseudo Arc Républicain is a scam,” adds the new socialist. They are against the left, that’s all. »
In Limoges, left-wing voters want to “unite” to face the legislative elections
Another symbol of the tensions in the Limougeaud debate, the case of Frédéric Roch, advisor responsible for greening, had his delegation withdrawn, after his arrest for anti-RN tags on municipal street furniture. “You are playing with fire by first targeting the NFP instead of the RN,” he reacts, in writing.
“A grenade” with fragmentation
It is as if “the grenade” that Emmanuel Macron said he had pulled the pin in Oradour, the day after its dissolution, was functioning as a “psychic coup d’état”, according to Raphaël Llorca. “The only one responsible is the one who pulled the pin on the grenade”, says Gulsen Yildirim. In two weeks, this decision has seized up the republican mechanisms, which, until now, had prevented the RN from coming to power.
With Emmanuel Macron, the day after, in the ruins of Oradour
On Sunday, this polarization and the politicization it implies could lead to an increase in participation and probable triangulars. An unprecedented political event since 1997 in the department and the withdrawal in the second round of an environmentalist candidate. Who will benefit? “We are talking about civil war, an ungovernable country,” concludes the mayor of Boisseuil, Philippe Janicot. People are waiting for answers. » This Thursday evening, they didn’t have any: elected officials were busy sweeping in front of a burning house.
Sebastien Dubois
