Nice Première: Ségolène Royal will be the socialist candidate for the upcoming presidential elections. What are your feelings after these primaries?
Nathalie Audin: I acknowledge the clear victory of Ségolène Royal. This validates a need for renewal and, we all hope, will enable us to defeat the right in the upcoming presidential elections and, with the same momentum, win the largest number of seats in the legislative elections to allow her to benefit from the widest possible parliamentary majority.
Patrick Allemand: Immense satisfaction. I am relieved to see Ségolène invested from the first round with such a strong margin. This will give her undeniable strength and legitimacy in the party and in the public opinion. This is very important after an intense and tough internal campaign where she demonstrated unshakeable calm and serenity. The clarity of the score will facilitate the unification of grassroots supporters. The initial statements from Fabius and DSK are appropriate, they have understood the socialists’ desire for unity. All of this seems to be off to a good start for me. In my opinion, a chapter, a beautiful chapter in the history of the socialists, has turned. Traditionally, since François Mitterrand (and his alliance with CERES), the Party was seduced by the left. It is this outdated model that led Laurent Fabius to a dead-end. As for DSK, he was too tied to the image of Lionel Jospin, representing a sensitivity, a too conventional social-democracy. The left needs renewal, in ideas, methods, and people, which has led to Ségolène Royal’s success. I strongly dispute DSK’s monopoly over social democracy.
Many of us, former Rocardians, former Jospinists, have rallied around Ségolène, seeking to create a modern social democracy around her, attentive to the people. Let’s not forget that she originated from the same orientation motion as DSK at the Congress of Le Mans, that of François Hollande. The political practice of elected officials like me argues in this direction. I completely reject the term social-populism. We are the renewal of social democracy. One only has to read how much she relies on the development of mass unionism to foster negotiation and contract-making within branches. Unionism must be developed; otherwise, proposing a contract makes little sense given the current balance of power between employers and unions. We are the social democracy that does not resign itself to the current balance of power.
Patrick Mottard: The rules of the game were clearly defined. It is therefore normal to accept a result that is not subject to any formal dispute. But I remain convinced that it would have been preferable for this internal consultation to have taken place earlier (in June, for example).
NP: More than 60% of people from the Côte d’Azur endorsed Ségolène Royal. In your opinion, what enabled this result?
NA: In my view, we can distinguish two types of votes: votes from people convinced by her proposals and utilitarian votes from people who believed that only she was capable of winning the presidential elections.
Regarding Nice and more broadly the department, we are pleased that nearly a quarter of members supported DSK’s candidacy. We had never counted ourselves before; ultimately, we form a homogeneous and structured political force. This is a source of satisfaction and a requirement for the future. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the comrades who supported and voted for this campaign. Voting DSK was not an “easy” or obvious choice, nor was it that of the legitimacy of the local Socialist Party apparatus. In some ways, our campaign was the most participative, collegial, and innovative in concept… it was ours.
PA: Everything I described earlier. But also the new internet members, who come from very diverse, predominantly popular backgrounds, contrary to a common belief. They were sensitive to the straightforward talk of someone who knew how to break taboos and speak a socialist language on issues difficult for the left. There are no left or right issues, only differing responses. Thus, on topics like the 35-hour workweek, the school map, or “teen” delinquency, what she said was understood by the people and by supporters.
The era of politicians who pretend to have an answer for everything is over. Today, citizens trust someone like her more than a “university professor.” This is true nationally, and it will be locally tomorrow as well. You see, Ségolène is a candidate without having written a book on election preparation. DSK, L. Jospin, F. Hollande all wrote a book, very well written, by the way. Previously that “established” a politician; today, it is “outdated.” It is no longer what people expect. They expect to write a story together. It’s a different concept of politics.
A radical change in mentalities is taking place. Some elected officials, too disconnected from realities, have not learned the lessons from April 21, 2002, and May 29, 2005. Yet, what we experienced on November 16 is only the logical continuation.
PM: The result in Nice is slightly below the French and departmental average (61% in the Alpes-Maritimes, but 54% in Nice). Essentially, many members, who want to end the right’s policy of social regression and who fear the specter of Sarkozy, preferred to give their vote to the one whom polls showed as the most likely to win. Many friends, sometimes very close, whose first choice was Fabius or Strauss-Kahn, ultimately decided to play what they thought was the safety card.
NP: “We will climb this mountain together until 2007.” What do you think of this statement by Ségolène Royal, and do you think total unity will be possible within the PS before 2007?
NA: Climbers know that to climb a mountain, a lot of courage, selflessness, and above all, smart concentration of one’s strengths are required… today, we must rally to defeat Sarkozy. The internal debate strengthens us and ultimately unites us. If the right hoped to see us weakened, it made a mistake. Our determination is all the stronger now.
PA: This expression refers to the idea of an effort to be made. Yes. Nothing is set. It would be wrong to confuse the two elections. The major election is in May 2007. I stand by the fact that it is a societal issue. It is even more important than that of 1981. In 1981, it was an alternative within a country where the consensus on the social model inherited from the Resistance remained very strong. In 2006, it is the complete opposite. Ségolène will embody a leftist vision, heir to this social model, but will have to imperatively evolve it to save it. It’s the renewal.
Sarkozy, on the other hand, will embody the break with this social model, the advent of ultraliberalism in France, without limits, directly inspired by the United States. That’s why this election is major. Renewal versus rupture. We will need to make every French person understand this. In this sense, the ascent may be long, but the word “together” is essential. All of this, we will carry out this campaign together, partly from the grassroots. I don’t see any sincere socialist not wanting to be part of this. Therefore, unity will happen.
PM: To climb the mountain, it will be up to our candidate to distribute picks and rappel ropes to everyone. It is evident that Ségolène Royal’s first challenge is to give signs to rally those who did not vote for her internally. The remark is similar externally: I am struck, after three days in the field, by the contrasting reactions after this endorsement. A majority of left-wing voters seem satisfied to see the PS in working order and give credit to Ségolène Royal’s candidacy; others are much more wary, even hostile. The coming days will thus be crucial in this regard.
NP: Lastly, what will be your local actions to support Ségolène Royal’s candidacy?
NA: Our actions will be those decided by the Socialist Party.
PA: Ségolène Royal needs the Socialist Party, but she has already stated she wants to also maintain her independence. It is very important to quickly put in place a mechanism that amplifies the momentum. I will make proposals to the different section secretaries. And then there are the “Desires for the Future” committees which she has mandated to continue their actions. In the A-M, these are more than 450 members, many of whom are not yet members of the Socialist Party. I invite them to join in large numbers by clicking on the PS site, or by contacting my office at 13 rue Bavastro, or the federation, or other offices, to amplify the ongoing Party renewal.
And on December 12, Desires for the Future is organizing a big public debate on the post-oil era and the environment. As you can see, there will be no shortage of initiatives. And it will be necessary to keep the Socialist Party in its place in this campaign, which is now my task.
PM: She is the Socialist Party’s candidate. The latter will, of course, be mobilized: it is up to Ségolène Royal to make the best use of it, which will have the advantage of repositioning and repoliticizing her candidacy. In my position, as an elected official and as a supporter, I will do everything to promote her candidacy, although, as the person in charge of the municipal opposition (Nice Plurielle), I must have a respectful attitude towards other left-wing candidacies.
