On the occasion of the early legislative elections, a political figure who had been discreet until then stood out: that of the head of the Ecologists, Marine Tondelier. Her hard-hitting media interventions aroused a certain enthusiasm among the left-wing electorate. Especially since the elected representative from Pas-de-Calais has been used to confronting the RN for years in Hénin-Beaumont.
Dressed in her iconic green jacket, Marine Tondelier multiplies. The leader of the Ecologists is everywhere; on sets and networks, in studios, at rallies, on the ground and behind the scenes. Her voice carries and her aura grows, she who until then, did not shine particularly on the media and political scene. But she has become, in a few weeks, an essential figure of these early legislative elections.
She owes this in part to several notable speeches in recent days. On France 2 during the evening of the first round on Sunday, she confronted Minister Aurore Bergé, who was unable to call for a clear union against the far right, with her responsibilities. The same evening, while ambiguity reigned in the presidential majority regarding the second round, she spoke without hesitation of systematic withdrawal on the left and immediately called for a new republican front.
The next day, on the France Inter morning show, she reacted with emotion to Bruno Le Maire’s voting instructions, which excluded LFI from the equation in order to block the RN. The party leader then castigated the ” cowardly and privileged behavior ” from the Minister of Economy, who is not ” not up to the mark with history ” A passage widely shared and commented on by left-wing voters, among whom it arouses a certain enthusiasm beyond activist circles.
Clear and frank interventions, often firm, which reveal a solid debater, not inclined to be destabilized. As during this very lively interview on BFMTV Wednesday evening, where Apolline de Malherbe asks her about the controversial rap video They will not pass. A heated exchange during which the journalist relays live a text message from the Minister of Culture Rachida Dati implicitly criticizing Marine Tondelier for her positions. Despite this surprising aside, the national secretary of EELV remains unperturbed.
Marine Tondelier has proven it on numerous occasions: she is not afraid of confrontations. She also asked to debate with the leader of the RN, before the second round of the legislative elections. But the latter declined, instead demanding a confrontation with the rebellious leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who is much more divisive. A refusal that caused controversy, with feminist groups and left-wing parties accusing her of wanting to “ make invisible “women in the campaign. Faced with obstacles, BFMTV ended up replacing the Attal/Bardella/Tondelier debate with three separate interviews.
A career fighting against the RN
The Greens believe that if the far-right leader does not want a confrontation with their representative, it is because he ” is scared “, because she knows “ their methods are too good “. A shared analysis by the first secretary of the PS Olivier Faure. And for good reason, Marine Tondelier grew up and forged her political career in Hénin-Beaumont, stronghold of Marine Le Pen, whom she faced several times in the legislative elections, without success, including in 2022 under the banner of Nupes.
The native of Pas-de-Calais has seen and experienced up close the decline of the left and the grip of the extreme right on the mining basin. She recounts her experience as a municipal councilor in Hénin-Beaumont in the book News from the Frontwith the subtitle: Life under the National Front. An opposition elected official tells us (Les liens qui libèrent, 2017). In it, she denounces the policy led by Mayor Steeve Briois and his teams, the pressures, the insults and the deleterious climate that has settled in the town, where she still lives with her family.
His colleagues describe a “ fighter “, ” tenacious ” And “ solid “. Refusing to “ to desert ” the constituency, she presented herself on Sunday as a substitute for the socialist candidate of the New Popular Front Samira Laal, who failed (26.05%) against Marine Le Pen, elected in the first round (58.04%). She has also been elected regional councilor of Hauts-de-France since 2021 and has sat in the opposition to LR president Xavier Bertrand since then.
Faced with the extreme right, she tirelessly repeats that we must not ” lower neither eyes, nor head, nor arms “A formula that comes up very frequently in his speeches, notably at Place de la République in Paris on the evening of the first round. I know the values of the National Rally and their disgusting methods, and I have learned three things: never lower your head, never lower your eyes, never give up, she throws at the crowd. So yes, we will fight, we will fight together and we will win. “.
” It is in Marine Tondelier’s identity to be on the front line against the extreme right “, estimates the PS senator of Oise Alexandre Ouizille, questioned by the AFP. In Hénin-Beaumont and the region, “ I always saw her on the offensive, I’m not surprised to find her at the forefront ” he said. Today, she is taking the fight to a national level, and has been doing so since the evening of June 9.
Maneuvering for the union of the left
As soon as the surprise announcement of the dissolution of the National Assembly was made, the environmentalist took the initiative and called on all left-wing leaders to form a union against the National Rally. The EELV boss played a key role in convincing the PS and LFI to form an alliance. It was also at her party headquarters that discussions with the communists, socialists and rebels took place. Tough but fruitful negotiations. On June 10, she was the one who announced the agreement in principle.
” Everyone thought we were dead. “on the evening of the dissolution,” 24 hours later, the creation of the Popular Front was announced in front of our premises, with everyone gradually coming inside to discuss. The good contacts of trust that we had with each other counted “, rejoices the environmentalist, the only female party leader in the coalition.
Read also“The New Popular Front is Born!”: An Account of the Intense Negotiations That Led to the Union of the French Left
“ She demonstrated leadership in bringing people to the table and ensuring that the four parties agreed to form the New Popular Front. She knew how to shake things up and be heard. “, confides MEP David Cormand to our colleagues at France 24The former Green leader believes that she is one of those people who, “ in the event of a crisis, know how to rise to a certain level of play “, reports AFP.
European disappointment
However, her political future looked complicated after the Ecologists’ defeat in the European elections. At the end of an inaudible campaign, the head of the list Marie Toussaint barely reached 5.5%, far from the 15% of 2019. But even before the results, Marine Tondelier’s strategy was questioned by certain internal currents, calling for the organization of an extraordinary congress anticipated after the elections.
A bad sequence for this former parliamentary assistant to Cécile Duflot and member of the executive office for ten years, who intended during her election at the head of EELV in 2022 rebuilding a party in crisisweakened by its divisions, the Julien Bayou affair and Yannick Jadot’s poor score in the presidential election. But since then, the criticism has been muted, the dissolution has reshuffled all the cards.
” Tondelier is a miracle. Normally, she should clear out, after what she did in the European elections. She can say thank you Macron “, quips a rebellious executive interviewed by AFP. The fact is that the green leader is on all fronts and attracts the spotlight, just like her iconic green jacket which is causing a lot of ink to flow and even benefits froma parody account about X. It remains to be seen whether the growing aura of this ” other Navy ” can be part of the long term after July 7 and its many uncertainties.
How effective will the republican front she is calling for be against the RN? Will the union of the left for which she has worked so hard hold up in the National Assembly? What about a coalition government, to which she is not closing the door, but which is making LFI grind its teeth? Although relaunched and projected into the limelight by this campaign, Marine Tondelier is facing a complex electoral equationwhere her political future could well be at stake. But like her entire career in Pas-de-Calais, she exists more than ever in her fight against the National Rally.
Read alsoFrench legislative elections: the options for the day after
