Around 10 p.m., the final verdict fell: Ensemble won the elections while Olivier Bordon collected 4,350 votes. This is almost 500 more than in 2018. A historic result since it is the first time that the PS has lost the elections and its absolute majority since the merger of the municipalities in 1976. “We are on cloud ninesmiled Clotilde Léal-Lopez, 4th on the list and who doubled her score compared to 2018 (769 votes). We won the elections with 14 seats out of 29! It’s a crazy night, we’re getting support from everywhere. Besides, the room is too small (laughs).”
No one had anticipated this result. Even Olivier Bordon, after the departure of the Écolo group last June, had revised his ambitions by speaking of a coalition and no longer an absolute majority. He finally succeeded in depriving the PS of its absolute majority. A crazy gamble but ultimately successful. “By gaining a majority, we want to pursue a policy that breaks with that of the Socialist Party, in particular by taking the citizen into account,” added Clotilde Léal-Lopez.
“Betrayal can sometimes work”
For his part, Jean-Charles Luperto (who did not respond to our calls) reacted to Boukè’s microphone concerning the defeat of his party. “We remain a large party with more than 35% of the votes and personal scores which remain very interesting (3,776 for Jean-Charles Luperto). I want to recognize the victory of Ensemble who achieved a successful performance. Betrayal can sometimes work (Editor’s note: he is targeting Olivier Bordon). As for my personal score, I cannot hide the fact that it is not a great moment of happiness, especially since it is undeserved given an extremely solid record.”
But is this a defeat across the board for the PS? For the first time in Sambreville, a coalition will be obligatory. “If you total the scores of the lists on the left (Editor’s note: with the PTB which obtained three seats) they obtain more than 52%, which is an absolute majority. It should be noted but it doesn’t foreshadow anything for the future.”
It is clear that a coalition with the PTB, which achieved the feat of obtaining three seats on a list of three candidates, will send Olivier Bordon and Ensemble into opposition. But for that, we will have to find an agreement. The PS will, above all, have to accept the breaking points imposed by the PTB in relation to its policy.
And what about the Ensemble group? To be in power, he will have to obtain one more seat. Where can he go to get it? Olivier Bordon has always indicated that he does not want to negotiate with the PTB. The PS then? The next few weeks promise to be challenging in Sambreville to form a majority. “Or there will be an institutional blockage,” we are told.
