The Udi Laurent Gérault will run for Angers mayor office challenging Christophe Béchu

Frédéric Béatse (credit FB blog)

About four months and a half before the 2014 municipal elections, political alliances, on the left and the right sides, are taking shape. While the Angers section of the Parti commu-niste made official on November 7th, its choice to run for Frédéric Béatse, current mayor and candidate for a new term, the local Union des démocrates et indé-pendants (Udi) announced that it will have its own candidate to the Angers mayor office. Laurent Gérault, Maine-et-Loire delegate of that party and minority town councillor is said he will make up a list.

Christophe Béchu (credit angersbechu.fr)

If that news looks unfavourable for the opposition candidate to the Angers municipal elections, Christophe Béchu, that one has not, for all that, lost his political assets. First, Mr. Béchu had already got the support of the Angers delegation of the Mouvement démocrate (Modem). Secondly, two rounds will be necessary to choose the winner and, for all we know, the conser-vative candidate, Christophe Béchu, should get more bulletins than Laurent Gérault. So, logically, that one should call his supporters to give their voices to Mr. Béchu. But it is not sure.

Laurent Gérault

On the left side, the rallying of the communists to socialists is a good news for Mr. Béatse, weakened, for the the first run, by the candidacy of Jean-Luc Rotureau, his former deputy-mayor. Once again, logically, the supporters of Mr. Rotureau should vote for the current mayor for the second round. But, as for the Udi menbers with Mr Béchu, will they do so with Mr. Béatse? It is not sure. A third option would consist in Laurent Gérault and Jean-Luc Rotureau alliance.

For the Parti communiste, that union may give him, in case of Mr. Béatse's victory, seats in city council, a première for 30 years after it had been ousted by the former mayor, Jean Monnier. But probably, there are Angers sections of Modem and Udi which are in the most critical position while their national leaders, François Bayrou and Jean-Louis Borloo, have recently decided to unite ther forces in a new mouvement L'alternative. In Angers, with a Modem pro-Béchu and a Udi against him, the Alternative doesn't look very clear.