“The more participation in elections increases in Strasbourg, the more the left has beautiful colors”, rejoices the NFP candidate, Thierry Sother, not a little satisfied to have come out on top in the first round of the legislative elections in the 3e constituency of Strasbourg (37.94%), dethroning by almost 10 points the outgoing Macronian deputy Bruno Studer (Together, 28.99%), elected twice since 2017.
As in the three other constituencies of the Strasbourg metropolitan area, participation was marked by a sharp increase of more than 20 points on Sunday (68.12% compared to 47.87% in 2022), and even by an increase in participation since the European elections three weeks ago, with 3,500 additional voters.
Two confirmations, one surprise
Thierry Sother’s performance was the surprise of the first round in Strasbourg since in the two other constituencies, the two candidates elected as deputies in 2022 under the banner of NUPES, consolidated their first place on Sunday.
In Strasbourg Centre, Sandra Regol narrowly missed out on qualifying for the first round (47.60%) against the “Ensemble” candidate Étienne Loos, far behind (24.26%). In the second constituency of Strasbourg-Illkirch, the outgoing LFI MP Emmanuel Fernandes (43.91%) is also comfortably ahead of the Modem candidate Rebecca Breitman (22.56%). The RN candidate, Virginie Joron, is in third place (21.22%), so it will be a three-way race in the second round.
In this constituency too, the increase in participation (more than 20 points) benefited a better mobilization of the left. “Without being satisfied with the situation, the results that appeared yesterday at 8pm on the screens should still be put into perspective a little since the final results put the RN barely one point ahead of the NFP. We know that with the game of withdrawals and the numerous three-way races, we are able to block the RN’s breakthrough and that on July 7, if we all get involved, if we each campaign in our constituencies, we will be able to move towards a much more progressive and humanist government than what a Bardella government would be,” Dear Emmanuel Fernandes.
NFP, the choice of the Republican front
In the fourth constituency of the Strasbourg Eurometropolis, which includes the rural territory of Kochersberg, the Ensemble candidate Françoise Buffet (32.36%), who came just behind the RN candidate, Delphine Daubenberger (33.11%), will benefit from the withdrawal of the NFP candidate Raphaëlle Krattinger.
“We demand that the Macronists demonstrate the same sense of responsibility in all configurations where their withdrawal would help promote a defeat of the RN. We demand that their candidates also withdraw because we know that there is a danger that the country will slide into an era where fundamental rights and the rule of law will no longer be guaranteed if the National Rally comes to power,” explains Emmanuel Fernandes, who as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in the previous legislature, in addition to his national mandate, is particularly sensitive to human rights issues.
He asks, as does Thierry Sother, that the Macronian candidate who came in second position in 3e constituency withdraws from the competition in the second round, which he refuses to do for the moment. “The notion of Republican Front has a particular meaning which for us, on the left, must remain a marker”, insiste Thierry Sother.
Faced with the extreme right, don’t give up!
It is step by step, argument against argument that we must fight the extreme right. This is what we try to do every day in Humanity.
Faced with incessant attacks from racists and hate mongers: support us! Together, let’s bring another voice to this increasingly nauseating public debate.
I want to know more.
