In front of nearly 500 activists, Martine Aubry presented the main points of her program in a speech. It is not only a matter of defeating Nicolas Sarkozy but also of bringing hope in response to the policies currently being implemented by the right.
“Una mattina mi sono svegliato, o bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao” was the music that accompanied Martine Aubry’s thundering entrance into the Nikaia Palace hall and, by extension, into the Alpes-Maritimes. The approximately 500 people present were in a frenzy, with activists climbing onto their chairs (even at the risk of falling) to see their candidate arrive. This Italian song, highly symbolic as it was used by the resistance fighters, sends a message to PS members to resist the dominant current and established ideas.
Local elected officials supporting Martine Aubry (Christine Doréjo, Paul Cuturello, Pascale Gérard) took turns speaking at the microphone, as did “the media herald,” according to his own words, the mayor of La Seyne-sur-Mer, Marc Vuillemot. The elected official from Var, who fought for better access to healthcare by collecting petitions (nearly 20,000) by bicycle on the road to Paris, declared himself “faithful to certain values.” He denounced the “dismantling of highly urbanized areas to the detriment of hyper-rural ones.”
Like Marine Le Pen, Martine Aubry wants to revive a true industrial policy. For her, overcoming the crisis will not be achieved through austerity “which destroyed the little growth Greece still had.” It should begin with “the elimination of 50 million tax loopholes.” She is not afraid of original ideas like taxing the wealthier more: “the first liter of water should not cost as much as the water that fills the pool.” “The republic must guarantee everyone’s access to fundamental rights,” she added. Martine Aubry criticized the lack of social housing in Nice, “where they prefer to install cameras,” which provoked boos in the hall.
“I want to help Africa because I am a socialist. The war in Libya had to be done, but it would have been better if Gaddafi had not been entertained in Paris.” “France was right when Jacques Chirac with Lionel Jospin refused to go to Iraq (sic).” An anachronism that is perhaps indicative of her perception of the right today, which she no longer sees as capable of being humanistic. She also denounced statements that “shame France,” from Eric Ciotti and Christian Estrosi, the “firsts” to want to apply Sarkozy’s policies.
So, it is the left’s responsibility to bring its values back to the forefront and offer hope in the face of Nicolas Sarkozy. Young people, well-represented in the room, “will have to choose the president who will be in power during the five best years of their lives,” declared the primary candidate. Patrick Allemand, a declared supporter of François Hollande, was also present as vice-president of the regional council and “for the purpose of what comes after, when we will have to come together,” regardless of the winner.
