“To see these young people sacrificing part of their holidays to engage with the public seems to be a promising outlook for the future,” declared the Mayor before catching a pair of “UMP” flip-flops mid-air, usually distributed by the caravan to new members. These flip-flops, accompanied by a “welcome gift” towel in the party’s colors, have a unique feature: they leave an imprint in the sand, stamping the grains with three letters: U, M, P. What some might hastily call propagandist politics, Pascal Condomitti prefers to call “communication.” Admittedly, the term is more flattering. According to the former leader of the young populists, it should be seen merely as a gadget meant to remind of the caravan’s presence along the French coast.
After the “skateboarder” trend in baggy pants and oversized hoodies, expect now to see the “UMP” fashion statement in beachwear. We already knew about the very paradoxical Che Guevara t-shirt sold by major ready-to-wear brands; here’s a new opportunity to display one’s political leanings and share them with those around. Even more so, airplanes fly over the beaches to announce the passage of the young populists, specifying the phone number to dial for membership.
The UMP’s summer caravan is also primarily an opportunity to recruit vacationers to the party. “Did you see how I brought those two in?!” exclaimed one of the stand’s animators to his colleague, pointing to two new members freshly stamped and dressed by the party heading back to their swim. Ultimately, there’s no need to worry; it’s just commercial canvassing.
What was the product already? Ah yes… Nicolas Sarkozy, whose book is also for sale by these street vendors. Currently, it is in Corsica where the UMP is advertising: let’s hope they don’t run out of stock.
For more information: the official website of the caravan.”
