Presidential 2022: In Perpignan, Hidalgo rebels and defends his “dream” of union – The HuffPost

POLITICS – How do you say “I had a dream” in Catalan? All that was lacking in Anne Hidalgo this Sunday, December 12 to definitely capsize the Perpignan Congress Center.

It is 3:50 p.m. when the socialist presidential candidate takes place in the back of this room with blue armchairs, towards the entrance of the artists. She waits a few minutes, listens to Carole Delga conclude her speech, and here she is entering the Charles Trenet auditorium where some 1000 activists and as many tricolor flags, rainbow or eco-friendly.

Sweet France, sang the artist from Narbonne, Anne Hidalgo will do the same once at the podium. More offensive than usual, like the mayor of Montpellier – turned into a chauffeur – Michaël Delafosse, the candidate connects proposals, tirades, and other slogans against the “bad winds”.

An hour of rhythmic speech, greeted by his supporters, far from the “end of reign” atmosphere which has been able to hover around the socialist adventure this last week.

In front of an audience filled with white heads – where the “young people” can be counted – the mayor of Paris deploys his program, without flinching. She promises “the right to vote in local elections” for foreigners: ovation. The regularization of “undocumented people established in France for a long time”, re-ovation. Not to mention the 15% increase in the minimum wage, the Perpignan oath for the “sanctuary of retirement at 62”, or the allowance paid to young people. So many measures warmly applauded by the audience.

In Paris, on the other hand, the measure does not pass among its competitors from LFI. While the Socialist was trying to push back on the left, most of the movement’s executives criticized her for this measure, which would not be “social progress”, but a form of retention of achievements.

The candidate had however taken care to spare her left-wing opponents, Yannick Jadot, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and others. It’s better when we advocate the gathering. On the other hand, she was pugnacious and chained the claws against the candidates of the right or the far right, those who threaten to “relegate” France “to the rank of small xenophobic and racist countries.”

But she did not forget to defend her new creed, that of the union of the left. “We will say: ‘she seeks union? But she’s dreaming! ‘ Yes I dream, I dream of a Republican left, of a popular left that changes life ”, she launches to her supporters, thus justifying her late but salutary turnaround. to believe its activists, “Let us take inspiration from Jaurès, let us have the courage to go to the ideal by understanding the real”.

A tone that will make Patrick Kanner say that his candidate is gaining in “confidence” and “power”, on “form as well as substance”. For him, “it’s as if the idea of ​​the primary had freed her.” “She kicks her heel back to the surface. It’s a way to get out of this trap, ”said the boss of the socialist group at the end of the meeting, always fond of metaphors.

And unsurprisingly, the Socialists are won over, even “moved” and “happy”, say some, very excited, like Jean-Marc and Benoit, two friends who came together. “She lived up to it. At the height of the left and the country. She takes the helm and we go, ”rejoiced the first, pea coat tied on a black scarf, waiting in the passageways to hope to meet his candidate and thank her. It will be done.

When the socialists sing “No pasaran”

“That’s exactly what it was necessary to say”, launches one of them as Anne Hidalgo prepares to leave the room to isolate himself behind the scenes. “It was great. It rose crescendo and I found it very impactful, concrete, with prospects and good references ”, adds Armelle, not far from there, a young retiree who made the trip from the Gard.

A meeting not like the previous ones, therefore, which will have seen the socialist militants chanting “No Pasaran”, under the leadership of the candidate, clearly inspired by “this land which sings to the wind of Spain, with this accent which is that of freedom.”

“It invigorates, I regain hope”, says Louis-Antoine when we disturb him at the exit of the room. He and his friends, in their thirties, redo the meeting in front of the Palais des Congrès: “offensive”, “concrete” … the compliments are not lacking, even to the point of small spades: “it was about time, at 3% in the surveys.”