The New Year’s ceremony of the “marchers” was disrupted (and delayed the event by preventing participants from accessing it) by the loud presence outside the venue of nearly 200 “yellow vests” who protested—and blocked the tram line—by presenting their arguments before heading to Place Masséna, where they clashed with the police.
A great turnout, a few familiar figures, but mostly people from civil society, attended the King’s cake event preceded by some speeches from the leaders of this new formation, which, following the President of the Republic, is trying to organize and structure itself at the territorial level.
Two notable speeches were given, one by the departmental referent Enis Sliti and the other by the deputy, one of the department’s three, but the only one from Nice, Cédric Roussel.
For the former, 2018 was a year of organization for a movement born from civil society with neither structures nor experience. Today it has 6,000 members, a territorial network, albeit insufficient, a youth organization (JAM), and a few elected officials who have joined this new entity, notably Georges Botella, mayor of Théoule-sur-Mer, Pascale Vaillant, deputy mayor of Cannes, and in Nice, Philippe Soussi and Joëlle Martinaux.
The goals for 2019 are no less ambitious: “To win the electoral battle to govern our ideas in Europe,” declared Enis Sliti, “for which we have prepared with the Grand March for Europe, allowing us to organize 30 events in the department, knock on 2,800 doors, and gather the opinions of more than 400 of our fellow citizens.”
Regarding the Grand Debate, the movement and its militants have already organized 10 events and will continue to drive consultations at a pace of about five meetings per week to contribute to the national level.
In his speech, Deputy Cédric Roussel returned to the concept of participatory democracy, so widespread these days and dear to the yellow vests who had previously protested outside the venue: “Am I not myself legitimate as an elected official, I who two years ago was not doing politics? I had a profession; I am from the civil society that many invoke. I came into politics to contribute to changing things.”
But the part that the audience listened to with the most interest was his analysis of the political situation in Nice in the perspective of the municipal elections: “We are facing a sclerotic situation, always the same people clashing to maintain or seize power.”
So what will LREM do in 2020? “It is certain that we must be present, in whatever form it takes. It’s not a question of people but of a project. We will make a decision at the appropriate time.”
A pre-declaration of candidacy?
