The candidates of the New Popular Front in the constituencies of Chartres and Dreux managed to qualify for the second round of the legislative elections, this Sunday, June 30. But one ultimately withdrew his candidacy, while the other remained. Backstage at this eventful evening, with the candidates and their supporters.
7:20 p.m. at Marigny, in Chartres, this Sunday, June 30, 2024. Jean-François Bridet and his supporters are gathered. For the candidate, his face is tense and tired when he arrives. He joins his campaign manager and analyzes the different results from the polling stations. At this time, his substitute, Dominique Chanfrau, says she is “confident and very hopeful.”
The candidate, opposition municipal councilor in Chartres (Chartres Écologie) confides that he is “already at work for tomorrow. We have done the campaign that we had to do”. Meanwhile, around fifty supporters gather with the hope of taking second place in the first district.
At 8 p.m., the candidate’s face still appears contracted. He watches the first national projections at the National Assembly on the television screen. He says he wants to “wait for the total results of Chartres and the constituency” to express himself officially.
But at 9pm, his position is already taken according to both scenarios. If he finishes third, he declares that he will announce his withdrawal for the second round in the event of a three-way race. If he takes second place, he hopes that Guillaume Kasbarian (outgoing MP) will have “the same elegance as me: to withdraw and show that he is truly a republican. He must not engage in a battle of ego or personal vengeance”.
At 10:20 p.m., while there are still around fifteen offices where the ballots are not completely counted, he joins his supporters (where Quentin Guillemain, the former legislative candidate in 2022, is also present) and announces that he withdraws for the second round to “block the RN”.
The candidate appears emotional and tired, but contains a tear. Several of his supporters fail to retain them. But everyone applauds the candidate of the New Popular Front who announces that he will continue his commitment at the local level with a view to the municipal elections in two years. His supporters chant his name and that of the union of the left. Jean-François Bridet also announces that he will do “everything not to make the task of the RN easier this week as well as in the future”.
The endless suspense in Dreux
“An evening full of twists and turns…” confided this Sunday evening, Nadia Faveris, the socialist candidate presented by the New Popular Front, in the second constituency of Dreux.
Calculations, projections towards a possible second round or Republican withdrawal in favor of the LR candidate Olivier Marleix against the extreme right? All the hypotheses were considered by the activists, sometimes laughing, often tense, while waiting for the final results. Because the first counts coming from the different offices immediately indicated a very close match.
The announcement of the final results only confirmed the first impressions: “There are only 147 votes between us and Olivier Marleix, who came second behind the far-right candidate. This represents less than two votes in the 80 municipalities of the constituency. It is not much, very little. This is why we are considering requesting a recount of the votes,” explains Nadia Faveris.
If this recount took place and confirmed the lead of candidate Marleix, the candidate and her activists, all tendencies combined, would then call “clearly and unambiguously for a Republican front to defeat the National Rally candidate”.
Legislative elections: the RN ahead of the New Popular Front, the Macron camp in third position… Relive the first round
A crazy evening that already gives a taste of victory to the entire left gathered in a café in the city center of Dreux. As in the European elections, the very clear lead of the New Popular Front in Dreux and Vernouillet already opens up other perspectives for the local elections to come.
