what the first results of congress said (and don’t say)

POLITICS – White smoke after black Thursday. The Socialist Party finally announced the official results of its first round of congress, early Friday 13 January, after 24 hours of delay in the form of a numbers battle. Outgoing First Secretary Olivier Faure, who held the pro-Nupes line, just missed an absolute majority but finished well ahead with 49.15% of the vote.

Text-oriented main competitor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol won him 30.51% of the vote, ahead of Hélène Geoffroy (20%). The mayor of Villeurbanne is therefore out of the running, while the two men still in contention will face each other next Thursday, January 19, to run for PS chairman before the congress at the end of January in Marseille.

The first result marked a turbulent week for the roses, before a final duel that was undoubtedly tighter than expected. Above all, the tables laid out Friday night, after hours of confusion, offer binge viewing divided into the strategies to follow. To the extent that suspense won the main headliner.

Two different stories

On the one hand, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol and his supporters did not hesitate to present Olivier Faure’s score as a big failure. And they were as a pleasant surprise. ” Like we said last night though fake newsfor the first time, the outgoing leadership of the Socialist Party lost its majority “, For example, pinging the mayor of Rouen on social networks, describing the way of his competitors as” dead end “.

According to him, “hope allowed” to win next Thursday, the sentence is “the sole guarantor of unity” in front of “split risk” party if the First Secretary is reappointed. Nothing less.

To throw a surprise, Norman elected officials relied on the vote of elector Hélène Geoffroy who effectively called, after the results were made official, in favor of the city alderman. Because for him, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol “would be able to unify the Socialist Party, get it back in action, provide a renewed ideological corpus, and revive internal democracy”.

In contrast, Olivier Faure, whose lead had looked to disappoint at the end of this first half, played confidently. “Activists put me in front, almost 50%, and made a clear choice”, he said in an interview with Paris published Friday night. A way out against the tide of his challengers where he made sure to have it “on this basis, an absolute majority in the national council”. Moreover, according to him, the activists have “reinforces our will to unite leftists and environmentalists” by their voices.

Meeting ” goldfish and rabbit »

In the camp of first outgoing secretary, attempts were made to put into perspective the chances of victory for the mayor of Rouen, who was going through a massive, even complete delay, of Hélène Geoffroy’s vote on her candidacy. Not easy. “In elections, 1 + 1 never makes 2”, recalled a deputy, quoted by AFP. ” Unlike Mayer-Rossignol, we don’t have a sound pool. If we win, it will be 51/49…” another frame nuance, in the column Figaro, less confident than his classmates: “That is a piece that will fall one way or another. »

In this context, Olivier Faure warned activists against gathering ” goldfish and rabbit “. “When we make an alliance without sharing an orientation, it’s generally not that far apart”he emphasized in the column Paris.

Behind these calm or offensive speeches that were slightly overplayed on both sides, the picture after this first round was not so rosy in the end for the Socialist Party. Despite the clashes displayed in broad daylight between the various candidates, the militants (23,000 voters out of 42,000 called) appear more divided than expected in the strategy to be followed.

There is no line, whether pro-Nupes, Nupes-skeptic or widely recognized anti-Nupes. On the one hand, Olivier Faure’s vision emphasized the need for unity, including with rebellious France. On the other hand, the strong resistance from Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol and the blatant opposition from Hélène Geoffroy vis-à-vis the alliance as it currently stands. What further complicates the task of the future leader of the roses, on a bed of thorns.

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