The results of the elections of representatives to the European Parliament on Sunday June 9 confirmed the trend announced for months of high participation for European elections and absolute domination of the National Rally.
We understand this resentment, this bitter taste of voters, who have not been listened to and heard for too many years. Because we know these cities, these territories, their problems, their difficulties. We are working to resolve them with strength, determination, self-sacrifice, but without being heard by those in power and technicians. This implacable defeat for the presidential majority was transformed into a major political crisis by the President of the Republic by declaring the dissolution of the National Assembly. The far right has never been so close to power in France and this would constitute a first in peacetime for our country.
The decision of the President of the Republic plunges France, but also Europe, into uncertainty that is incompatible with current geopolitical issues. It also destabilizes the functioning of the State a few weeks before the Olympic Games, in the face of the current threatening wars and it forces the municipalities to organize very complicated elections in an emergency, while many cities have festivals at this time, celebrations or the passing of the Olympic flame.
The misdiagnosis of elites and leaders
The National Rally comes first in all French departments, except Martinique and four departments of Ile-de-France (geography, we will come back to this). And in more than 32,300 municipalities out of around 35,000, or around 93%! The RN has made strong progress in sub-prefectural and medium-sized towns (as well as Corsica and the Overseas Territories). It sometimes exceeds more than 50% of ballots cast (in the presence of 37 other lists).
The territorial divide is now total. It is electoral and therefore political. It has further increased significantly between urban metropolises and the rest of France. This vote reveals this feeling of abandonment (and therefore this reality of abandonment, because a feeling is a reality in politics) of the inhabitants of the sub-prefectural towns (closure of maternity wards, trains and TER trains which do not work, growing insecurity, few executives and CSP + who live in sub-prefectural towns, a low median income, etc.) who feel not considered, this therefore implies a rejection of the President of the Republic and the current majority.
The yellow vests, but also pension reform, as well as energy prices, have deeply shaken these territories with unprecedented mobilization during these events. But as always, no lesson has been learned or retained, erased by the “great debate” (where the lists of grievances have not even been studied yet) and the 49.3. However, the demands are always the same: consideration, equal access to public services, and above all a demand for efficiency in public services and public spending. The French demand results and operational performance. What they don’t have or don’t get.
The most striking thing is the misdiagnosis of elites and leaders (who constantly inspire us with technocratic decisions). They still don’t understand. They have understood almost nothing, because they do not live in these territories and these situations. Without a good diagnosis, there is no chance that the public policies subsequently carried out will be good and relevant. The political choices of recent years, not sufficiently focused on France in its entire diversity, particularly geographical, leave us once again with a feeling of abandonment of our territories, despite their numerous industrial, economic, associative, ecological and (geographic) assets. ) strategic for the France of tomorrow.
Our leaders should reread Fernand Braudel (inspired by Lucien Febvre), forcefully recalling: “France is called diversity” in his book The identity of France. With this enlightening passage: “In the evening of his life, the great historian gives us with rigor and passion the keys to the history of France: he observes, fascinated, the extreme diversity; analyzes the deep and silent movements which cross the ‘space”. This forgetting of contemporary geography (even more so with the phenomena of globalization and metropolisation) is a major, capital, profound error.
France has 235 sub-prefectures with their living areas. These are cities of flow, of centralities with the associated costs: roads, various networks, sidewalks, school transport networks, gymnasiums, CCAS, etc. Our central cities can double in demographics, during the day (generating costs). The future of our country and our Republic is at stake. We must do everything to ensure that these cities prevent extreme voting in the next legislative elections.
On the industrial level, around a hundred buildable hectares in each sub-prefecture town (and their intercommunity) are necessary to (re)develop these industrial pillars of our Republic. This is essential. In addition, State plan contracts – sub-prefectural cities must be promoted. They must be structuring (we must put an end to the sprinkling). Furthermore, a strategic committee bringing together the 235 mayors of sub-prefectural towns and the 235 sub-prefects (with meetings three or four times a year), a body for promoting these towns and living areas, would be very promising.
A profound geographical secession
For several years now, we have been warning about the rise of extreme voting in these cities, of a rejection of politics and politics. We alert the media, elites, decision-makers, national political leaders (Élysée, Matignon, ministers, Senate, parliamentarians, etc.). We have organized more than 100 meetings for this purpose (supporting documents, arguments and forums). Even if there is polite listening on the part of our interlocutors, no concrete action is taken to reconquer our country and rebuild the Nation. They do not understand. They govern a country, which they do not know.
The geographical distance from major decision-making centers (and senior metropolitan jobs) has a lot to do with it. France suffered a profound geographical, therefore territorial, and consequently political secession. Here we are. Our Republic is on the ground. We hope, without delay, for the emergence of an alternative republican force following the legislative elections, capable of reconquering our sub-prefecture towns and their living areas (50,000 inhabitants, 80,000 inhabitants… per sub-prefecture town). A republican rebound must be initiated by proposing a strong, powerful, effective, structuring action plan for the 235 sub-prefectural cities (thus irrigating the entire national territory, including Corsica and the Overseas Territories), in direct collaboration with the mayors and their residents. In order to maintain and perpetuate in our Nation “the masses of granite” on the soil of our entire Republic.
* Fabien VERDIER, Mayor of Châteaudun (Eure-et-Loir, 28), President of the Association “Movement for the development of sub-prefecture towns”,
Bernard GUIRAUD, Mayor of Lesparre-Médoc (Gironde, 33), Secretary of the Association “Movement for the development of sub-prefecture towns”,
Antoine SCHWOERERFormer ministerial advisor, Deputy Secretary of the Association “Movement for the development of sub-prefectural cities”,
Patrice BERARDDeputy Mayor of Neufchâteau (Vosges, 88), Deputy Treasurer of the Association “Movement for the development of sub-prefecture towns”
Nadine GRELET CERTENAIS, Mayor of La Flèche (Sarthe, 72)
Guillaume SYLVESTRE, Researcher and expert in social data intelligence, Treasurer of the Association “Movement for the development of sub-prefectural cities”
Marc ANGENAULT, Mayor of Loches (Indre-et-Loire, 37)
Jérôme GUILLEM, Mayor of Langon, President of the Community of Communes of South Gironde
Chantal Marie MALUS, Mayor of Château-Chinon (Nièvre, 58)
Jean-Luc DUPONT, Mayor of Chinon (Indre-et-Loire, 37)
Joël HOCQUELET, Mayor of Marmande (Lot-et-Garonne, 47)
Alde HARMAND, Mayor of Toul (Meurthe-et-Moselle, 54)