Angers opposition town council performs "scuffle"

Laurent Gérault

The rattle of arms for the 2014 Angers municipal polls starts to be heared inside the minority of the city council. On November 16th, the opposition town councillors withdrew to Laurent Gérault the responsability of being their spokesman in Angers city council as well as in Angers Loire Métropole agglomeration council. In spite of what these representatives said, it's hard to believe that that decision has nothing to do with the recent membership of Mr Gérault to the new Union des démocrates et indépendants set up by a former minister of the previous French right government which plans to stand for the municipal 2014 elections.

Christophe Béchu

Such a move would not surely taken favourably by the outside leader of the political opposition to the present majority of Angers city council, Christophe Béchu, senator. That one, who missed by a few margin to win the last municipal ballots in Angers four years ago, would probably have better chances to compete - alone - with the present Angers mayor, Frédéric Béatse or its contestant, Jean-Luc Rotureau. For that matter, the press release of the minority side of city council points out that Laurent Gérault "didn't honoured the spirit of the 2008 common involvment".

That one, who competed, unsuccessfully, with the former deputy Hervé de Charette, to the last legislative ballots, is now led not to withdraw his candidacy. But that aim becomes suddenly more difficult without the support of his former fellow councillors. On the Angers city council right side, things are clearing. On the left side, majority of that authority, primaries would be a way decide who will run for Angers mayor's office. But the two candidates, Frédéric Béatse and Jean-Luc Rotureau don't look all right about such an idea.