Michel Castellani, outgoing MP in the first constituency of Haute-Corse, leading the first round of legislative elections on Sunday June 30, 2024.
– We have defended Corsican interests with dedication and a constant concern for the public good. Faced with competing messages, we must remember that there are no magic solutions. We are seeing a protest vote and precarious social conditions, demanding a taxation of the speculative economy to support the most vulnerable. Our social policy has been ignored so far, and we are now seeing the consequences. This choice is crucial for the future of Bastia, my hometown that I cherish deeply.
– The results in Borgo and Lucciana show that Jean-Michel Marchal has a strong lead. How do you analyse this electoral reality?
– There is a very strong choice of society. It is a protest vote that must be taken into account. It is a rejection of life in society as it is today. The reality is there. We need a fairer policy. As far as we are concerned in Corsica, we need a policy that tells us what we are. We cannot erase our language, our past. What I will focus on next week is to unite around my candidacy.
– How will you approach the week before the second round? Are you planning to form a coalition?
– It is obvious that people, whatever label they defend today, will have choices to make. This choice is clear. I am not positioning myself in relation to one of the eight other candidates, but everyone will choose their side. It is a choice that is far from neutral. It is a choice of society of extreme importance in Corsica and throughout the French territory.
– We could consider This result is a disapproval of the project that you are defending with Femu a Corsica. What is your reaction?
– I fight every day for my island, for democracy, for living together, for humanism… I respect the voters. If they think I am not good, I will bow. I feel like I have done my job honestly, every day.
– The Left Front calls to vote for you. How do you receive their support?
– Naturally. I call on all democrats to come together. The choice seems clear to me. If I respect Jean-Michel Marchal as a man, as a candidate, I have doubts.
