The Centrist force of the Angers city council tries to become central for the 2014 municipal ballot.

The political topics are about to resume in Angers. Just a few hours before the end of the summer holidays, Laurent Gérault, who is member in Maine-et-Loire of the Union des démocrates et indépendants (Udi), lauched an appeal to his colleagues of the Angers opposition town councillors "to overcome the egos" and be united for the 2014 municipal polls in which he could himself run for the mayor office.

In fact the centrist family in Angers doesn't look to be (yet?) a central force in the outcome of the ballot. That political family in the city council is openly divided and Mr Gérault has been excluded of it in 2012. So, the september return is a favourable moment to put the pieces back together. If Mr Gérault is right to start his campaign for the gathering of centrist forces, the task will not be easy because at the same time, the doubts he expressed about the opportunity of a new ice skating triggered critics from members of majority and minority city council.

Credit : Laurent Gérault's blog and Conseil régional des Pays de la Loire

It is obvious that, without unity, the Centre will not weigh in the necessary alliances for an electoral success. The Socialist majority of the Angers council could be, as in many other French towns, severaly weakened, and even defeated by... the economic crisis instead of Udi or Ump (Union pour la majorité présidentielle) competitors. But if Mr Gérault's appeal is listened, it will be a first step to open a dialog with the future Socialist list led by Frédéric Béatse or even the conservatice one, led by Christophe Béchu.