RN in the lead in Beaujolais, Caladois between anger, bitterness and exasperation

In the 9th constituency of the Rhône, the Beaujolais sector, candidate Patrick Louis came out on top in the first round on Sunday, June 30. How are the residents of Villefranche-sur-Saône reacting? Between anger, bitterness and exasperation.

In the north of the Rhône department, in the 9th constituency, the candidate who came out on top in the first round of the legislative elections is an old acquaintance. Patrick Louis, a former MEP, is on the right of the right. The former elected official, a supporter of Charles Millon and Philippe de Villiers, now claims to be part of the “union of the right”.

Patrick Louis, historical figure of the radical right in Lyon, came out on top by a wide margin ahead of the outgoing LR MP Alexandre Portier. Ten points separate them. Nearly 7,000 ballots separate them. Jean-Henri Soumireu-Lartique, candidate of the new Popular Front, was also qualified for the second round. He received 23.25% of the votes cast.

In Villefranche-sur-Saône, residents were divided on Monday morning over the results. Voters in the 9th constituency of the Rhône placed the RN in the lead in the first round with 35.41% of the votes cast. On the other hand, in Villefranche-sur-Saône, candidate Patrick Louis came in second with 28.73% of the vote, behind the candidate of the new Popular Front, Jean-Henri Soumireu-Lartigue, who received almost 35% of the vote.

How did the people of Caladois react on Monday morning? Some were torn between dejection, weariness and disappointment with politicians: “Both extremes are not desirable. But what do we have? What else do we have? The socialists put us in this situation. On the right, they haven’t done any better. We’ve been letting things happen for 40 years and there’s a fed-up feeling. These are things that they could have fixed a long time ago. And we let it happen, we let it happen…and here we are. I’m not going to judge people,“ explains a woman from Caladoise. On the speeches of the extreme right, the pensioner, former resident of Vaulx-en-Velin, is skeptical: “I don’t think they’re going to change things much. They won’t be able to. They denounce foreigners, but they’re French like you and me. What more are they going to do?”

The results were the focus of his conversation this morning. “I think it’s better to start with a duel. There will be more chance of countering the National Rally,” she assures.The RN is everywhere in Beaujolais. It’s the National Rally that will win. It bothers me, a little bit a lot. It’s especially scary,” assures her friend.

Others are bitter, even dejected, in the wake of the historic results of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella’s party. “Since people have moved more, we thought it would be more positive and that we would not have a disaster in terms of these results.”lamented another resident. In the constituency, the participation reached 71.68%. It was a little lower than in Villefranche-sur-Saône (63.63%)

But among some Caladois, it is exasperation that dominates and a rejection of politics. “We’ve had enough. There are too many things. We help all the foreigners. The guys who work, they don’t have a penny. We bring them in from left to right, all the foreigners, without papers. We give them everything. I see the neighbors, foreigners, they don’t pay gas, electricity, or rent, they don’t pay anything at all! It’s not normal. And the poor French, they have nothing at all. That’s why the RN is put forward,” storm a pensioner. “We’ll see if it changes or not. If it doesn’t, they’ll change it later!” he assures fatalistically.

“For us retirees, purchasing power is really starting to decline (…) We’re fed up with giving money to a lot of people who don’t need it! Others have fortunes and don’t share them with the old people who need them,” says another retiree we met in the city streets. “I voted in the first round so that things would change. The National Front is still scary.”he explains in a half-hearted manner. The retiree would have liked a government composed of “different currents”.

“I find it sad! It makes me sad. That’s all!”concluded a young woman.

This Monday morning, the candidate of the New Popular Front, who came in third place, announced his withdrawal from the race. There will therefore be no three-way race in Beaujolais. By withdrawing his candidacy, Jean-Henri Soumireu-Lartigue wants to block Patrick Louis. But theThe 9th district of the Rhône, historically anchored on the right, could nevertheless be one of the first constituencies in the department to switch to an RN majority.

On Sunday evening, after the first round, Jean-Luc Mélenchon announced systematic withdrawal candidates from the New Popular Front came in third place, in order to block the RN. Alexandre Portier could benefit from possible transfers of votes from the Macronist candidate Antoine Laurent, who came in 4th place on Sunday evening, with 14.38% of the vote.