On the occasion of their party’s National Congress, which will be held this weekend in Paris, the Nice delegates participating—Jean-Christophe Picard, Patrick Mottard, Dominique Boy Mottard, and Chantal Maimon—will defend the submitted proposal: “For Open Local Primaries”.
Jean-Christophe Picard, president of PRG 06, particularly wishes for the procedure used to nominate the left’s candidate for the presidential election to be applied to the upcoming municipal elections in Nice.
Here are his statements and arguments:
“In 2007, PRG 06 proposed the organization of a primary to choose the head of the left’s list for the municipal elections in Nice. We were not followed.
Result: the leader of the PS was designated by only 372 socialists; that’s very few for a city of 350,000 inhabitants! Worse, the left was divided, running on no fewer than four lists. Ultimately, with two impossible mergers and one refused, the list led by the PS came, in the second round, far behind the UMP’s list…
Given the enthusiasm aroused by the first French primary, which allowed nearly 3 million left-wing citizens to choose their champion for the presidential election, the idea wasn’t so bad after all! Especially since the candidate thus chosen, a certain François Hollande, won this major election.
After such success, it would be a shame not to implement this modern method of nomination at the local level.
Obviously, an open primary to designate the head of the list for the municipal elections in Nice would allow the left to approach this election from a position of strength. On one hand, it would facilitate the unity of the left, if not a broader gathering. On the other hand, it would give the strongest possible legitimacy to the head of the list thus designated.
That’s why PRG 06:
Calls on the radical left to support the contribution “For Open Local Primaries” that it has submitted within the framework of the PRG congress;
Calls on socialists to sign contributions that go in the same direction, within the framework of their own congress;
Calls on left-wing citizens to promote this idea through social networks;
Already agrees to participate in an open primary to designate the head of the list for the municipal elections in Nice.
