The electoral campaign in Mons has left its mark. Between verbal clashes, accusations of “fake news” and frustration of citizens, many Montois feel disoriented in the face of a political battle that seemed almost personal. The two main candidates, Nicolas Martin (PS) and Georges-Louis Bouchez (MR), look back on these few turbulent months and on their plans for the city.
For several months, the people of Montois have witnessed a particularly tense electoral campaign. The two major figures, Nicolas Martin, outgoing socialist mayor, and Georges-Louis Bouchez, head of the list of Mons in Better and president of the MR, faced each other in an atmosphere described as a “boxing ring”. This climate has left many residents perplexed.
“It was very special, there were a lot of clashes between the participants“, confides a resident of the city. Others, like this Montoise, deplore the move to the background of the background: “A campaign that was based on fake news, not on a program. It’s extremely frustrating because people don’t really know what to expect.“.
Aggressive
Tensions crystallized on subjects far from the daily concerns of citizens, in particular quarrels over the domicile of Julie Taton and the massive presence of electoral posters. For some residents, this overshadowed the substantive debate: “It’s still difficult to have exact access to the program. And it’s still something very important“. “It’s very damaging for democracy, there was a settling of scores from both parties“, regrets another Montois.”It was quite an aggressive campaign.”confides a resident. Many Montois believe that their town deserved a much cleaner countryside.
Responses to reviews
Aware of the unease that has set in, Nicolas Martin and Georges-Louis Bouchez responded to the criticism. The head of the list Mons in Betteradmits that this tense political climate is not recent: “It’s not just this campaign. There has been a complicated political atmosphere in Mons for many years. But with the results of the elections, I hope that we can give a new dynamic to the city.” indicates the liberal president.
Nicolas Martin, outgoing mayor who hopes to run for a second term, criticizes the aggressiveness of his opponent: “I have someone extremely aggressive in front of me. I think it doesn’t look like the DNA of the Montois.” He emphasizes the efforts made in recent years to transform the city: “Of course everything is not perfect, but we still have a lot of plans for the future.”
Crucial issue for Mons
The election in Mons is all the more strategic as the city has been run by the socialists since 1953. Georges-Louis Bouchez hopes to break this longevity by winning the mayoral sash for the first time, while Nicolas Martin aspires to obtain a second mandate after having long benefited from the trust of the people of Montois. This climate of tension is part of a broader context where citizens, in Mons as elsewhere, seem increasingly disenchanted with electoral campaigns. Local politics, supposed to be close to the daily concerns of residents, sometimes seems to turn into an arena.
Personal animosity
For the future, the people of Mont hope that after the election will be an opportunity to refocus the debate on concrete questions and to improve the quality of life in their city. “I think it will be interesting if we can look at the files and leave behind all that is personal animosity. I believe that there are also difficulties in the way in which the municipal council is managed, but there you go, all that will now be put back into perspective“, concludes Georges-Louis Bouchez.
Residents hope that the promises of peaceful dialogue will not remain a dead letter. “Anyway, people have their own ideas.“, summarizes a Montois resident, emphasizing that despite the climate, everyone has formed their opinion on the future of the city. It remains to be seen whether the result of the ballot boxes will live up to the expectations and challenges awaiting Mons.
municipal elections municipal elections 2024 Mons mr ps
Related News :