While the votes placed her in second position, the candidate of the New Popular Front, Ghislaine Kounowski preferred to withdraw in the first constituency. The explanations.
She was sixty-nine votes short. Almost nothing, therefore, to equal the 16,775 ballots (31.6%) in favour of Stéphanie Rist, the outgoing Renaissance MP, in the first constituency.
Ghislaine Kounowski (New Popular Front), second in the first round of the legislative elections with 31.47% of the votes cast, also had a lead of 1,826 votes over the National Rally candidate, Tiffanie Rabault (28.03%).
The outlines of a three-way race were taking shape when, on Sunday evening, June 30, the socialist withdrew her candidacy. She explains why.
Do you regret your decision?
Ghislaine Kounowski : “No, I don’t regret it. We are the only constituency to have prevented the RN from coming out on top. It was a women’s fight; we got in the way of the RN. We can say bravo. Then, we had to look at the results. The RN candidate, third, was not far behind either. And in fourth position, Guillaume Chassang (New Centre), supported by the LR, had obtained 3,620 votes. Where would these votes have gone?”
“I was faced with a difficult choice. What would have been the outcome of a three-way race? I couldn’t have fun with that; nor take the risk of seeing the RN win.”
How did the decision to retire come about?
“I didn’t have any reserve votes. I went to the end of my determination to block the RN. I am a republican, faithful to my values, so I withdrew.”
Did you make this decision alone?
“On Sunday evening, I made my decision when I left the prefecture. But I wanted to bring together party officials to hear them and get their opinions. In the end, it was me who made the decision. With the RN wave, what chance would I have had of winning?”
Did your voters understand this decision?
“I took it to protect them. It’s a small stone that I’m laying so that the RN does not obtain an absolute majority. The Republic is at stake.”
Have you spoken with Stéphanie Rist?
“She called me Sunday night. I explained to her that I was playing the Republican front. I hope she will remember that and make decisions to support city policy and health care.”
Loiret: Faced with uncertainty, Kounowski (NFP) withdraws, Rist (Ensemble) and Rabault (RN) in the second round
What instructions do you give for the second round?
“I will ask my voters to vote to defend republican values. This will undoubtedly strengthen Stéphanie Rist. I prefer to have her as an MP rather than the RN candidate.”
Nicolas Da Cunha
