“Long live winter”, exclaims the environmental candidate for the presidential Yannick Jadot, pierced by the powerful wind which sweeps the place of the cathedral of Rouen, this Monday evening, in one of his open-air meetings designed to “occupy the street with politics”. The MEP is betting in particular on these reduced, short and inexpensive formats to take off his candidacy, which has been capping for several weeks at around 5% of voting intentions in the polls and outdistanced by his main competitor on the left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
“Everyone knows how to hold meetings where activists come to wave flags”, claims Yannick Jadot, when he wants to “occupy the street with political debate in places where there is traffic”. But, he concedes, “in winter it’s not easy”. And in Normandy even less, when the storm is there. With gusts at 80 km / h, the brave were only a little over 200 to make the trip and the curious did not last long.
From storm to wind turbines
However, the enthusiasm is there and the EELV candidate reveals an inhabited tenor voice, under the bells of Rouen Cathedral. “When for wind turbines we are told regarding the problems of intermittency… In Normandy, we don’t miss the wind”, laughs Yannick Jadot during his plea for renewable energies and once morest nuclear power.
Nuclear, the ecologist often returned to it that evening, but also quickly addressed other areas of his program devoted to agriculture, social justice or even freedoms.
In the eyes of the French, “Normandy plays with nuclear power”, he regrets, referring to the nuclear power plants of Penly, Paluel and Flamanville. “It’s a pressure cooker, and if it breaks, an entire region is devastated,” thunders Yannick Jadot. Before knocking on Emmanuel Macron who, with the announcements of new EPRs, wants “to make a fiasco (in Flamanville) six, eight, twelve fiascos”.
Aware that the livelihood of many families in the region depends on this industry, the MEP takes care to “thank the workers who run the aging power stations”. And affirms “that one euro invested in renewables and energy efficiency creates two to three times more jobs”.
“He’s too far back”
Among young people, Yannick Jadot is sorely lacking in notoriety, even though those under 30 are extremely sensitive to the protection of the environment. “He is too far back,” gets annoyed Aline, who nevertheless holds a Jadot 2022 flag in her hand. “And then headliners like Zemmour or Mélenchon squat our social networks with their provocations”. “However, he is the candidate we really need,” adds Enora, a 26-year-old municipal councilor. “He has a very serious program that speaks to us,” says Laureen. “It is high time that we vote and act for ecology! »
Elliot, a 24-year-old student, says he wonders regarding “meaningful voting”. But not for Jean-Luc Mélenchon, as Ségolène Royal defended last week. “The blank vote, that of protest,” he says.
Yet convinced by ecology, Elliot is annoyed by the disunity of the left: “Mélenchon was not able to capitalize on his 19.5% in 2017, Jadot on his 13.5% in the 2019 Europeans… And the debate is very split on the right. I don’t think there will be any good surprises.”
