In the midst of lemons (inevitably abundant on the day of the Menton festival inauguration), the green jacket does not go unnoticed. The signature garment doesn’t deceive, it’s indeed Marine Tondelier, the national secretary of Europe Ecologie Les Verts (EELV), continuing her tour of France (by train) to support several municipal candidates. This Saturday, her journey took her to the Alpes-Maritimes to support the left-wing candidate, Laurent Lanquar-Castiel in Menton.
“I always go to support the activists. If I hadn’t had Noël Mamère, Cécile Duflot who had come for me, I think I would have quickly become depressed. I know the importance of having external support. From Hénin-Beaumont, Menton is almost the furthest point I could campaign,” she said with a smile, warmly greeting the welcome received.
Realizing the power dynamics, she acknowledges that the town “is not in the top 10 of the most winnable cities in France.” However, she insists that “Five right-wing lists… seem to be competing in division. I think they are heading towards defeat. On March 15, there will be a surprise, you’ll see.”
Balancing her statements, she mentions the historic opportunity in a town governed by the right for nearly a century. “If it should shift, now is the time,” she affirms, urging to seize the opportunity.
Looking ahead to the election night of March 15, she predicts “emotional roller coasters between 8 pm and 10 pm,” with possible merger calls from the right. “You know what to answer them,” she declares, to applause. “It’s better to be envied than pitied. When suddenly you have lots of new friends, it means things are looking up.”
Even in the event of second or third place in the first round, she believes Laurent Lanquar-Castiel could “embody the republican front,” but “as high as possible from the first round.”
Near the national secretary, the candidate observes the excitement generated by an intense morning of canvassing. The troops are motivated in his headquarters, rue des Sœurs Munet, determined to go all the way. “The real unity is us,” Laurent Lanquar-Castiel smiles, pointing out the media coverage focused on right-wing candidates. “If they lose tomorrow, they’ll leave as quickly as they came. People join us because we talk about their daily lives,” he says.
Next to him, Fabienne Revillet, a representative of the French Communist Party (PCF) in the department, agrees. She would be the first deputy in case of Laurent Lanquar-Castiel’s victory. “We have taken on our responsibilities,” she says. “The left needs to ally with the Greens. We want to bring color to a locally monochrome policy.”
“There will be a bonus for the most united camp,” Marine Tondelier adds. “In a moment where the far right is rising, if we want to be in the second round, we have to be united. That’s how it works everywhere, including in Menton.” Besides electoral arithmetic, she emphasized “the meaning of left-wing unity.” “Voters don’t want sectarian wars. They just want to live in cities where they are offered policies that improve their daily lives,” she explains.
She mentions ecological transition, social justice, participatory democracy, and “child-friendly cities” as a common foundation.
After a stop in Nice, Marine Tondelier continues her tour of France, seeing these local gatherings as a signal to the national electorate. In Menton, where the left dreams of an unprecedented shift, her visit has certainly made its mark on a campaign that believes in surprises and intends to provoke them at the polls.
