Roanne’s LR mayor Yves Nicolin was heavily criticized on Tuesday, July 2, for remarks deemed racist by the Loire Socialist Party, which is demanding a “firm condemnation” of the Republican Party before the second round of the legislative elections. Will the controversy surrounding Yves Nicolin have repercussions on the campaign in the 5th constituency of the Loire?
“Those who go out at night tend to go out in the summer. They are a breed that likes heat and good weather. In the winter, they are more peaceful.”said Yves Nicolin, the mayor of Roanne, in a recording obtained by AFP. He spoke on Monday, July 1, at a press conference to present a local night police brigade, explaining that its hours could change. His remarks were reported by the local newspaper Le Pays.
If the LR mayor of Roanne is not a candidate in the legislative elections, his remarks could well have an impact on the campaign in the 5th constituency of the Loire.
Denouncing words “which are embodied in abject racism, which has no place in the mouth of a political leader”the PS Federation in the Loire asked the Republicans for a “firm condemnation” words spoken by their chosen one.
For the Socialist Party, these comments call into question its support for the LR candidate in this territory. If they refuse, the PS threatens to withdraw its support for the LR deputy of the 5th constituency of the Loire, Antoine Vermorel-Marques. The PS of the Loire has called for a vote on Sunday to block the RN.
“These are not my words and I will never use them. I condemn them,” Outgoing MP Antoine Vermorel-Marques responded to AFP, adding that he did not see “the link between me, my campaign and the comments made by Yves Nicolin”.
Contacted by AFP, Yves Nicolin said: “excuse” for using the word race in a way “clumsy”. “I used this word clumsily to talk about categories of delinquency, but in no case in the sense of the word racism. I wanted to highlight that there was a different type of delinquency in summer rather than in winter, at night rather than during the day”, he said, denouncing a “useless controversy”.
In the fifth constituency of the Loire, Roannais, a three-way race will take place during the second round of the legislative elections. outgoing LR deputy Antoine Vermorel-Marques is in a favorable position. He came out on top on June 30, with 41.99% of the vote. On Sunday, July 7, he faces la candidate RN Sandrine Granger who achieved a score of 36,09 %. The LFI candidate of the united left, Ishmael Stevensonwith 18.35% of the votes, is also qualified for the second round of the legislative elections.
Although he had initially announced his withdrawal, Ismaël Stevenson has decided to remain, in consultation with the activists. He is the only candidate of the new Popular Front to make this choice. “By his choice and given his result, he is taking the risk of having Roannais represented by a candidate parachuted in from the RN”, lamented the outgoing MP on his Facebook page on Tuesday evening.
