LThe candidates in the fourth constituency of Pyrénées-Atlantiques were very difficult to reach on Monday. Iñaki Echaniz (PS, New Popular Front), Sylviane Lopez (National Rally) and Jean Lassalle (Miscellaneous Right) are campaigning by car and the telephone coverage in the fourth constituency has some dead spots…
In this large conquered Basque-Béarn constituency…
LThe candidates in the fourth constituency of Pyrénées-Atlantiques were very difficult to reach on Monday. Iñaki Echaniz (PS, New Popular Front), Sylviane Lopez (National Rally) and Jean Lassalle (Miscellaneous Right) are campaigning by car and the telephone coverage in the fourth constituency has some dead spots…
In this large Basque-Béarn constituency won in 2022 by the representative of the former Nupes Iñaki Echaniz, the first round gave rise to surprise power relations that the RN candidate summed up as follows: “I imagined a three-way race given our dynamics but I thought I would be closer to the New Popular Front candidate and I thought that Jean Lassalle would also be closer to me.” It may only be a matter of time.
If Echaniz from Oloronais is leading the way with 38% of the vote, the RN candidate and her 25.62%, like the former Aspe MP and his 18.05%, can hope for a closer match thanks to the reserves of votes that had been transferred to the Les Républicains candidate in the first round (15.54%). Beñat Cachenaut announced at midday on Monday that he would vote “in a personal capacity” for the former Aspe MP but that he was refraining from any voting instructions. “I thank the 9,000 voters who gave me their vote and I leave them free to make their choice. Even if I think that the majority will follow the same path as me.”
“There will be a match”
Qualified by a hair’s breadth with 400 registered voters, Jean Lassalle never considered withdrawing from the race to block the RN, which led his socialist competitor to say on Sunday evening that he was putting “the Republican pact in jeopardy”. “I don’t feel like a threat to the Republic,” smiles the Aspois who dreams of a new comeback after that of 2017. “I think instead that it is better for Iñaki Echaniz that I stay in the race and keep my voters…” In the event of a duel, some of them could indeed have joined the RN cohort.
Without them, and despite a very clear breakthrough (from 11% and not qualified in 2022 to 25% in 2024), the RN candidate seems to be relegated to the role of arbiter. “I am counting on the reserves of votes on the right and why not on a discussion with Jean Lassalle, Sylviane Lopez still hopes. I think that the themes of this campaign and in particular the desertion of public services particularly affect this constituency. And I believe that voters cannot support the new Nupes and its cut-and-dried alliance.”
“I have been saying it since Sunday evening, there will be a match and we still need to mobilize to convince,” campaigned Iñaki Echaniz, comforted but not relieved by his first round. “I am in the lead in Oloron, Mauléon, Bedous, Accous, Iholdy, Hasparren… It is recognition of the work accomplished over the past two years.” The reserves on the left are meager (the 2% of the Basque National Party) but the incumbent hopes to convince some of the orphans on the right. “I have worked for two years with local LR elected officials for the maintenance of public services in Education, hospitals… I think that right-wing voters voted for me in the first round and I hope that there will be even more who will support me in the second.”
