The outcome was as quick as the campaign. Thirty minutes before the results were made official, the former Minister Delegate for the Budget had no more illusions. His return to the political arena for these early legislative elections was like a swan song: “It’s over,” said Jérôme Cahuzac. Back in his 3e constituency of Lot-et-Garonne a few months after having served his sentence of ineligibility following his conviction for tax fraud and money laundering, the second chance did not turn into a second round this Sunday evening.
» Find all the results of the first round of the legislative elections in your municipality
Call to ban the RN
“It doesn’t matter, we did what we could, friends,” he said to his campaign team gathered in a room in the city center of Villeneuve-sur-Lot. Faithful among the faithful, “friends of twenty years”, rallied on a hope of offering another path than that traced by “two populist blocs” or a right-wing candidate that he assures is Macron-compatible. He, refusing any label, had multiplied public meetings and leafleting on the markets in the name of a “republican, secular and responsible” left. This convinced 14.56% of the voters of the territory, who placed him in fourth position, far behind the outgoing RN deputy, Annick Cousin (41.08%), the LR mayor of Villeneuve-sur-Lot Guillaume Lepers (24.99%) and the representative of the New Popular Front, Xavier Czapla (18.36%).
“I saw hatred sometimes. I had comments, but it was marginal.”
“The campaign was difficult. Guillaume Lepers ran a very good campaign. Despite all our efforts, we were not able to convince people that our project, both local and national, deserved to gain the trust of our fellow citizens. But I take note of it because, in a democracy, the people are always right,” he regretted shortly after 8 p.m.
At this time, the tandem he formed with his substitute and mayor of the rural commune of Blanquefort-sur-Briolance, Sophie Gargowitsch, could hope to reach the threshold of 12.5% of registered voters to stay in office. “As we had committed to do, I am withdrawing without reservation in favor of the candidate best placed to beat the candidate of the National Rally.”
But with just under 10% of registered voters (9.90%), the verdict of the ballot box was clear. The weight of the past and the criminal record seemed prohibitive. “I saw hatred sometimes. I had some thoughts, but it was marginal, maybe seven or eight people in two weeks of campaigning,” he assured. He preferred to focus on the “hope” that he wanted to embody for a territory whose projects he carried during three terms in the National Assembly (1997, 2007 and 2012). “There are only those who have done nothing to whom nothing happens. As for me, nothing can happen to me anymore. My candidacy was totally disinterested. I wanted to continue to do, for this territory, what I had managed to do, for a time.” On the evening of the first round, that time seemed well and truly over.
