Anne Hidalgo comes to seek the support of François Hollande and socialist unity in Corrèze – archyde

“We are here in the land of presidents”, have fun repeating, Saturday, November 6, Anne Hidalgo and her team, in the countryside in Corrèze, between Brive-la-Gaillarde and Tulle. The land of Jacques Chirac (1995-2007), of course, but above all, for this trip, that of François Hollande (2012-2017). The Socialist Party (PS) candidate for the presidential election is at home here. Coming to glean the public support of the former President of the Republic, she pounded the pavement in his company, all day. The opportunity for the mayor of Paris to unify her camp and to appear on the ground, far from the capital.

First meeting at the Tulle market. It is 9 o’clock, François Hollande welcomes Anne Hidalgo. Under the gaze of the cameras, in the middle of the stalls of the station square, the former head of state reaffirms his support. “It is in a way a passing of the baton”, he declares. Words and an image expected, for this first reunion since the declaration of candidacy of the mayor of Paris, at the end of September. “Coming here is already winning! “, he insists, before Anne Hidalgo, all smiles, answers him: “That’s what I’m here for. “

Faced with questions on the difficult start of the candidate’s campaign, the former president insists: “The campaign hasn’t started yet! Anne still has time to convince the French. “ Regardless of the opinion polls at 5%, it is even “Very good sign”, He supports, in a nod to his own polls, far from being the highest, several months before his victory in 2012.

The meeting between the two tenors of the PS was made thanks to a fortuitous event: the holding of the Book Fair in Brive-la-Gaillarde, where both came to sign their respective books in the afternoon. The Corrèze literary event offered the perfect opportunity: until now François Hollande, whom the candidate has seen several times at his office at the Paris town hall, before visiting him in his offices in the rue de Rivoli last week, n had not addressed direct media support to Anne Hidalgo. Some in the party and in the entourage of the candidate criticized a lack of clarity.

“Bringing together the social democratic camp”

Anne Hidalgo therefore came to seek a symbolic gesture, two weeks after the big meeting in Lille, on October 23, where she garnered the support of Martine Aubry and Bernard Cazeneuve. The whole stake was to show his ability to “Unite the social-democratic camp” behind her, appearing alongside the last socialist president, in the stronghold where he was mayor of Tulle (2001-2008), deputy (1997-2012) and president of the general council (2008-2012). For François Hollande, it is also a way of showing that his experience in power should be a source of inspiration and advice for the camp of the “Government left”, despite the reviews.

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