Twelve years within Europe Ecologie-Les Verts is a long time. Twelve years of activism and commitment where she crossed paths with Yannick Jadot, Cécile Duflot, Julien Bayou and other Marine Tondelier. Nadine Herrati, president of the federal council, the internal parliament of environmentalists, member of the majority motion within the party, slams the door of the green house. She deplores the ideological evolution of EELV, the treatment of the Bayou affair and the online harassment of which she considers herself a victim.
L’Express: You resign and surrender your party card just as the European campaign begins. Why did you make this decision at this moment?
Nadine Herrati: There is a growing distance between what I believe is right to represent political ecology and the direction the party is taking. The growing influence of a vociferous ultra-left fringe among the Greens, which exercises a form of intellectual terrorism, in the manner of the Maoist cultural revolution, paralyzes the EELV majority from carrying out its actions. And personally, I am tired of the raids and insults on social networks towards me.
To listen to you, one would believe that the leadership of the ecologists is far too tender with the most radical minority motions, even though Marine Tondelier recently undertook to reduce their weight in the political apparatus of EELV…
This reform of the statutes [NDLR : adoptée à la mi-mars et prévoyant la suppression des motions] is a good thing, but the cadres and other party officials remain devoid of disciplinary arsenal. Above all, they have internalized that they will not be able to overcome these people. So faced with their power to cause harm, they try to cajole them and keep them here; This is counterproductive, because these are people who wish the party harm!
The reality is also that the Ecologists are surfing on moderate-radical ambiguities, to retain as many allies as possible and become a mass party. We are progressive, we fight against all discrimination. But we must not forget one thing: our voters are moderates, not brainless. Moderation requires courage, while demagoguery is very comfortable.
Is this how you read the outcome of the “Bayou affair”, which still divides environmentalists? The victory of a “vociferous minority” over a “paralyzed majority”?
Above all, I do not want to downplay the subject of sexist and sexual violence in politics, because I am committed to promoting real equality between women and men. Some are seizing on this matter to put excessive pressure on management and make threats. The militant strike for example [NDLR : quelque 80 adhérents et cadres régionaux ont lancé cet appel le 1er avril], while the campaign is already quite complicated, was decreed after the parliamentary group voted against the exclusion of Julien Bayou! Management gave in by requesting a call for testimony from members.
From the outside, this could be perceived as a trial outside the judicial framework by denunciations. The former national secretary found himself the victim of anti-democratic activism. Especially since nothing criminally reprehensible has, for the moment, been accused of him. We must not create confusion by putting two forms of justice in competition. As elected officials, this posture is untenable in public meetings. We have the imperative of moderation.
At EELV, you chaired the working group to combat anti-Semitism. What assessment do you draw up?
In everyone’s opinion, the subject of the fight against anti-Semitism has progressed since the creation of this working group in 2021. However, I find that we are in the process of regressing. Because there is something unbearable in the lack of measure expressed by the Ecologists, by describing the situation in Gaza as “genocide”. However, this qualification meets very precise UN criteria and should never be the subject of any political exploitation. But as too often, some have forced the hand of management to make this decision, which is part of the ambient anti-Semitism in our country. My resignation will perhaps make it possible to address these issues.
The European campaign begins in earnest, and Marie Toussaint is struggling to stand out in the polls. Are you optimistic for the future?
Marie Toussaint has the heavy responsibility of restoring the credibility of environmentalists. She is an intelligent young woman, full of abilities and aware of the scale of the issues. But it cannot, on its own, resolve all of the party’s structural failures. Is a surge, however, possible? Raphaël Glucksmann took advantage of our wanderings to take off to the left. It’s very complicated. Perhaps we will have to address people differently to find the path to reason and substantive work.