Who would have believed it? Very closely marked by the RN candidates in the 1st and 3rd constituencies of Haute-Vienne, Outgoing LFI MPs Damien Maudet and Manon Meunier chose an unexpected speechthis Monday morning on France Bleu Limousin, to launch their second round campaign. They ask Gaullist voters to give them their vote in the second round, despite the maintenance of the candidates of the union of the right and the center (Alternative Républicaine).
Thus, in the 3rd constituency, the candidate of the New Popular Front Manon Meunier, who is ahead of Albin Freychet (RN) by only 184 votes, addressed the various right-wing candidate Gilles Toulza, who came 3rd with nearly 27% of the votes to convince him to withdraw. “I call on Mr. Toulza to line up behind Mr. De Gaulle and not behind Mr. Ciotti“ she said, after having confirmation of the continuation of the Republican Alternative candidate. Likewise addressing the voters, addressing the voters of the candidate Debout la France, eliminated from the second round: “Among them, voters will recognize themselves in Gaullist values […] I call on voters who identify with humanist values to turn to me, this vote will oblige me in front of them“.
“The alliance between Gaullists and resistance fighters from the Limousin maquis”
In the 1st constituency of Haute-Vienne, Damien Maudet makes the same speech : “After all, it’s the same story as the alliance between the Gaullists and the resistance fighters of the Limousin maquis who came from the left”. More than blocking the RN, the outgoing deputies are outright appeal to the values of the Resistance.
Would this second round strategy look like a strategy of despair? In any case, this is the only way to be compatible with a moderate right-wing electorate which could make the difference in the second round, while the Alternative Républicaine candidates castigate the far-left positioning of the NFP-LFI candidates. “I have no lessons to learn from a party capable of flouting the values of the Republic” said Gilles Toulza this Monday morning on France Bleu Limousin, even calling on moderate left voters to join him.
