Jeanne Barseghian, ecologist mayor of Strasbourg, called on Sunday evening to block the road to Marine Le Pen in the second round of the presidential election. “Faced with the threat that the far right represents for our country and for its citizens, there is no ambiguity that holds: I call on voters to vote Macron”supports the elected official of the Alsatian capital, who succeeded two years ago to the ex-socialist Roland Ries as mayor of Strasbourg.
With 6,601 ballots cast (6.4%) in favor of Yannick Jadot, in fourth position behind Jean-Luc Mélenchon (35.48%), Emmanuel Macron (30.19%) and Marine Le Pen (11.06%), political ecology looked gray this Sunday in the Alsatian capital.
Marine Le Pen in the lead
In June 2020, Jeanne Barseghian had triumphed in the municipal elections with 21,592 ballots in her favor. A year later, in the regional elections, Eliane Romani’s environmental list once again came out on top in Strasbourg with 14,896 votes, in a ballot won in the Grand-Est by Jean Rottner (LR). This Sunday evening, the Grand-Est region placed Marine Le Pen in the lead (29.54%) in the first round, with a slight lead ahead of Emmanuel Macron (27.28%).
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“This result does not meet our expectations”deplores Eliane Romani. “We have not been able to anchor our solutions and have not been able to enthuse our voters, nor to federate on the left”, analyzes the regional leader of the Greens. The legislative elections, which appeared to be a stated objective of the ecologists in the left-wing cantons of the districts of Strasbourg, no longer have the same flavor for the clan of Yannick Jadot. “We must gather more, continue to discuss with the other political movements to present a united candidacy”proposed Eliane Romani.
Socialist Catherine Trautmann, former mayor of Strasbourg (1989-1997 and 2000-2001) and former MEP, had called to vote for Anne Hidalgo in the first round of the presidential election. The PS candidate won 1.88% of the vote in Strasbourg. “Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s score shows that the voters expressed a tactical vote. The left exists in Strasbourg but I am not sure that an alliance is possible before the legislative elections”analyzes this local figure of the left.
Macron campaign in Strasbourg
Unhappy candidate during the municipal elections in 2020, where she came in third position, Catherine Trautmann tried to ally herself locally with environmentalists, within a political intergroup which did not work. “The atmosphere is unpleasant”summarizes the one who now appears as an opposition municipal councilor, and who has not “no intention of running for the next legislative elections in June”.
Emmanuel Macron is expected in Strasbourg, for a meeting announced Tuesday, April 12 in the evening. The trip should have a European tone. The outgoing president appeared for the last time on January 19 in Strasbourg, at the European Parliament.
He then detailed the challenges of the French presidency of the European Union. This time he will try to support the European issues of his campaign. On April 7, during a meeting organized by his Strasbourg supporters, Emmanuel had obtained the support of Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who came as a neighbor to recall the importance of solid collaboration with the border countries of the Grand-Est.
