Sure,
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Nice Première: François Bayrou is officially a candidate for the presidential election. How did you receive this news?
Rudy Salles: It was obviously not a surprise for me, but I was eagerly awaiting this moment. Being a presumed candidate is one thing, declaring oneself an actual candidate is another.
Now we can consider that the election campaign is open and that François Bayrou will be able to fully elaborate on his project, his vision for France. His declaration was emotional and imbued with simplicity. Far from the glitz and usual media staging, he decided to speak in his native Béarn, in a beautiful village set against the backdrop of the Pyrenees, surrounded by friends, those from Béarn who have always known him, those from his region, his political friends. There was an authentic atmosphere that warmed the heart because the next President of the Republic will have to be an authentic, sincere, honest man and also a solid man who can face the challenges of his people. This Béarn context where he draws his origins and inspiration, a Béarn which resembles France with its rich differences, was a wise choice, a choice that resembles him. This candidacy declaration completely stands out from those of his competitors by its authenticity and the strength of conviction it exudes.
NP: “France must take another path,” says François Bayrou. What is this path to take?
RS: When we hear the right talk about the upcoming elections, they say, “we must defeat the left,” and when we hear the left, they respond, “we must defeat the right.” And François Bayrou proposes that we make France win with all our might. This means that to resolve the problems of our country, which no right-wing or left-wing majority has succeeded in 25 years, we need to unite the French people and form a government and a majority by calling upon personalities from different political backgrounds but who can agree on the essential, that is, the general interest of the country.
Jacques Chirac, having been elected by 82% of the voters in 2002, could have done so by calling upon all the sensibilities that had elected him. He did nothing of the sort: he formed a government relying on the 19% from the first round. It was a missed opportunity. For him, it was better to create the UMP to totally control the state machinery rather than share power with all those who had participated in his election. Yet such a coalition, had it been realized, would have allowed for significant reforms. This is the new path proposed by François Bayrou, one that will finally allow the French to end their fruitless confrontations that weaken our country.
NP: François Bayrou has taken on the media. What exactly is the UDF candidate reproaching the representatives of the fourth estate?
RS: François Bayrou reproaches the collusion between major media, financial powers, and authority. The press must be completely free and allow for democratic debate to take place so that voters can then choose without their choice being coerced. Because in any case, the voters themselves want this freedom. That is why I find it reductive and anti-democratic to present the forthcoming elections as the future duel Ségo/Sarko.
NP: Do you think, too, that the French media landscape only swears by Ségolène Royal and Nicolas Sarkozy?
RS: Once again, the media landscape is mistaken.
It’s, allow me the expression, nonsense. I remember perfectly the previous elections: in November 1994, Balladur was at 38% in the polls while Chirac was at 10%. You know the result. And in 2002, everyone predicted the Chirac/Jospin duel… it was Le Pen whom no one had forecasted. So, a little restraint. I recommend that the press open up democratic debate, be demanding about its independence, and allow voters to get informed in order to form a real understanding of the situation. The role of the press is to inform, not to engage in political fiction.
NP: Will you be part of François Bayrou’s campaign team?
RS: Of course. On a local and regional level, I will be responsible for his electoral campaign. On a national level, I will be one of the members of his close team. I will notably be responsible for his travels across the country in the coming weeks, as I did during the pre-campaign. In the span of two months, I was able to organize 90 department visits, meaning across the entire country, by my parliamentary colleagues, Deputies, Senators, and European Deputies. These visits had a significant impact and prepared the ground for the proper campaign. These travels allow us to relay the concerns of our fellow citizens, mobilize our troops, convey messages, and meet the press to explain our approach.
NP: What makes the legitimacy and originality of the UDF candidacy?
RS: The UDF is a political family rooted in the aspirations of the country. The French are waiting for a new path that distinguishes itself from those that have succeeded each other to date and have resulted in failures. For 25 years, the French have voted in each election against those they had previously elected. It is a situation almost unique in Europe. The French have become accustomed to voting against rather than for. We want to put an end to the sanction votes so that, finally, the French are willing to adhere to a project for the future of our country. We must give meaning back to politics and stop making it a “destructive game” block against block. This is the whole meaning of François Bayrou’s candidacy.
NP: Finally, is there a meeting planned in Nice before the election deadline?
RS: François Bayrou loves Nice and the Côte d’Azur and often comes here. He will be among us at Acropolis on Sunday, January 21 at 3 PM for the presentation of the new year’s wishes. But, of course, he will return during the election campaign for a meeting in Nice. By then, the election campaign will have settled in, and the political debate will, I hope, have opened up. In any case, François Bayrou and his team will do everything possible to ensure that it is so.
