« He’s an opportunist! The sentence bursts out when we question this Roussillon EELV activist on the investiture of Nicolas Cadène, former general rapporteur of the Observatory of secularism. Passed from the socialist ranks to a centrist list in the municipal elections of 2020, here he is now the Nupes candidate for the legislative elections in the 6th district of Gard (Nîmes-Uzès), supported by Europe Écologie-Les Verts.
partisan of the bullfight
Reputed to be pro-bullfighting (while EELV is opposed to it) in a constituency which – by chance – covers the arenas of Nîmes and holding a secularism “ accommodating “, Nicolas Cadène is very far from being unanimous among the local inserters. An article by CheckNews thus recalls that, during his acceptance speech at the Academy of Nîmes on June 14, 2019, Nicolas Cadène celebrated the history of bullfighting.
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« Certainly [elle] shows the death, most often of an animal – a fighting bull, let us specify –, and thus legitimately shockshe conceded then. […] But bullfighting seeks to recount life as a whole, which only has meaning through its brevity. She can therefore only illustrate it to us in all its fullness, that is to say until death, by making us feel her emotions powerfully: surprise, fear, sadness, admiration, joy, serenity, and sometimes even, let’s face it, boredom. »
Solicited by Mariannea local environmental activist explains that ” in Nîmes, this is the first question asked of a candidate: “Are you for or against bullfighting?” “Sufficient to make him say that” those who invested in it did not take into account the realities on the ground ».
Fluctuating political line
The same activist continues: He never made his coming out political and ideological. When we informed Julien Bayou in February [alors que le nom de Cadène commençait à être évoqué pour les législatives à EELV, N.D.L.R.] we expected Nicolas Cadène to rectify this in the local press. But it has not happened. “However, the profile of the suitor, so-called “opening” candidate, who would have asked for the LREM nomination before joining a centrist list for the municipal elections in Nîmes in 2020, questions to the point that it is predicted, among certain local ecologists, ” that he will vote at best in the center, at worst on the right if elected to the Assembly.
What Nicolas Cadène refutes. ” The thing is clearwrites the applicant in an SMS addressed to Marianne. Being invested by EELV, when the legislative debate is held, I will apply the common position of the group. He also denies any political opportunism: I had asked for support from a large citizen list in 2020 for the municipal elections – and not an investiture -, going from all the left to LREM because I sincerely thought that it was a winning logic on this local election. »
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Except that, from the local point of view, the choice of Nicolas Cadène seems to have been imposed from the capital by the executives of the party. Laurent Dupont, EELV regional secretary of Languedoc-Roussillon tries an explanation with Marianne : « In Paris, there are proximities that have been made. Nicolas Cadène had to get closer to Julien Bayou, the latter wanting to set up an Observatory of secularism in Île-de-France at the time of the regional elections of 2021. »
“Secularism” rather than ecology
Or, « the region had proposed the local activist Sibylle Jannekeyn who had already been a candidate in 2017 and seemed to us the natural candidatehe continues. When we saw the name Cadène appear, everyone was surprised. For my friends from Nîmes who are EELV candidates [lors des municipales de 2020, N.D.L.R.] Cadène was an adversary. This is not redhibitory in politics, but the fact is that he never revealed himself as an ecologist. He never wet the shirt during the presidential election, never spoke out for Yannick Jadot. Making him our candidate is a bit cavalier. »
Faced with criticism of his lack of involvement, Nicolas Cadène argues that he ” reserve duty then “During the campaign, the candidate having been appointed by Jean Castex, in September 2021, deputy departmental director of employment, labor and solidarity of Hérault. Not enough, however, to convince Laurent Dupont, who fears that ” secularism is essential in the political debate at EELV with the designation of Cadène, to the detriment of ecology.
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« We also need to have visibility on these themesconcedes the ecologist. But this issue risks taking precedence over environmental and ecological issues, such as animal welfare. We do not know the opinions of Nicolas Cadène on GMOs or nuclear power; we have just found out what he thinks of bullfighting. We really have the impression that he was placed there to be Mr. secularism. With a particular vision by the way. »
No dissenting candidate
This chilly welcome would have put Nicolas Cadène in difficulty in his search for a substitute, according to the regional secretary: ” No one at EELV wanted to join him. The PS and the PCF voted locally against any engagement with him. But he finally found someone in the Insoumis. »
Here again, Nicolas Cadène’s version differs since he says he has found a substitute ” for several days, from the day after the investiture “. But he keeps the mystery about his identity, the scoop of information being reserved for ” un journal local “. Nevertheless, this electoral mishmash arouses the embarrassment of the national authorities. According to L’Express, following a long email sent to the party by hostile activists, the “case” Nicolas Cadène was to be decided during the executive office on May 17. Before it took place, Laurent Dupont was skeptical: ” The majority of the office does not seem very permeable to this echo of the militants. In fact, according to the site Gard objectiveCadène’s candidacy has been validated.
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« If it is invested, we will exercise a right of withdrawalpreviously warned the EELV representative. This means that militants and members are authorized not to adopt the position of the party, without going against either. It’s like a conscience clause: we won’t campaign either for Nicolas Cadène or against him. In other words, no dissenting candidacies in prospect.
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