in Toulouse, Hélène Geoffroy taps on Olivier Faure, the Nupes and the “left of excess” – Liberation
Time seems to have stopped in the great hall of the socialist section of Haute-Garonne. Stopped several decades ago at the time of triumphant socialism giving the place the air of the museum of the history of the fist and the rose party. On one of the high red brick walls, sits majestically a huge painted portrait of Jean Jaurès, tutelary figure and deputy of neighboring Tarn-et-Garonne. A flag of the Toulouse section of socialist women of the SFIO published in the first half of the 20th century. On a table, a pile of blue envelopes with “Citizen primaries 22-29 January 2017” collects dust. “On a celebration of beautiful victories here”, remembers the first federal secretary of the area, François Briançon. The Strongest ? That of the legislative elections of 1997 which opened the doors of Matignon to Lionel Jospin, elected in Cintegabelle 50 kilometers away, he affirms without hesitation. The kind of evening that attracted more than 300 activists.
This Monday evening in Toulouse, there is neither a victory to celebrate nor a crowd of unleashed socialists. It is a federal assembly which is held in view of the congress supposed to designate the new party leadership at the end of January. Three days before the first round of voting, around a hundred activists (not counting those in video) came to engage with the various offers that are on the carpet. The deputy Jérôme Guedj made the trip from Essonne to represent the pro-Nupes line and the candidacy of the current boss Olivier Faure, in the running for a new mandate. The stage local, Kamel Chibli, represents the third way supported by the mayor of Rouen, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol. For her part, Hélène Geoffroy, considering that you are never better served than by yourself, made the round trip from her town of Vaulx-en-Velin to decline her project for the party.
Subsidiary of LFI
Despite his heavy defeat against Olivier Faure during the cOngres of Villeurbanne e, 2021, she had then made a very small third of the votes, the city councilor is back. At the time, she criticized the supposed strategy of erasing the PS to the detriment of other left-wing political parties carried by Faure. Today, it naturally scraps against the Nupes. This “save who can deal” that she rambles on at length of speeches which, according to her, would have the sole effect of subjugating the PS to rebellious France. “The Socialist Party led by Olivier Faure has become a subsidiary of LFI”she writes thus in the text of orientation which she submits to the militants.
The ephemeral Secretary of State for the city of François Hollande does not carry in his heart the training of Jean-Luc Mélenchon. For her, LFI elected representatives represent “a left of posture and excess”. In Toulouse this Monday evening, the tackles against the rebellious fly. To pay the accusers of “theorize the contribution of the votes of the National Rally” in their motions of censure to bring down the government or reproach them for not having voted for a resolution “affirming the National Assembly’s support for Ukraine and condemning the war waged by the Russian Federation”. Suddenly, if she participated in the head of the PS, Hélène Geoffroy instantly suspended the participation of her training at Nupes.
“Never have we been in so much trouble”
Faced with Toulouse activists – mostly ash heads – the mayor of Vaulx-en-Velin pulls out her claws against Olivier Faure and his record. “Never have we been in so much trouble […] we are no longer audible, we have not carried any great idea in the years that have just passed», she regrets. According to her, the PS “did not work hard enough” the substance of his project and has turned away from certain primordial subjects such as safety or work. “The PS is weakened, the number of militants is slightly reduced in 5 years. We are only 40,000 left», she continues to complete her inventory of the Faure years.
Profoundly Anti-Nupes, Hélène Geoffroy affirms that the PS, whose candidate Anne Hidalgo only recalled 1.75% of the votes in the last presidential election, can return to responsibilities by taking the time to repay a new project. For this, the former Secretary of State intends to organize major thematic conventions on subjects such as education, universalism, ecology, work or security. Everything would then be validated by a vote of activists in a potential congress of the refoundation scheduled for March 2024.
On this date, Hélène Geoffroy intends to validate “the new union of the left” in which the PS would take part. Because, the mayor of Vaulx-en-Velin is not “not opposed to the union of the left”, she swears in front of the Haut-Garonne militants. Just at Nupes. La Rhodanienne promises to exchange with the leaders of the various parties to define potential programmatic agreements. Faithful to the good old strategy of the PS, it relies on concentric circles. First of all, bring together the socialists thanks to the reinstatement of those who were suspended in the spring for having presented themselves against Nupes candidates in the last legislative elections or by returning to do those who have withdrawn because of the current line . Then gather the left then gather the French. In her speech, she speaks rather of forming a class front: “If we want to achieve more than 50% in the next presidential election, we need a program that unifies the country”. Before that, he must convince more than 50% of socialist activists.