Ways and voices in the Angers political landscape

B. Dupré

If many people criticize in France the fact the country is splitted between left and right, at the same time, political representatives, and even public medias, amplify the phenomena. In Angers, things do not really look clear in the centrist "family" which, theoretically, had been in position to support a centrist candidate betwen left and right. But, some of the local members of the Mouvement démocrate (Modem) and the Parti radical, others from the Union des démocrates indépendants (Udi), all centrists, have decided to support the Union pour une majorité populaire (Ump) candidate, Christophe Béchu, at the next municipal elections.

L. Gérault

Those have  made public on December 12th the reasons of their choice in favour of Mr. Béchu pointing out that their national leaders had nevertheless decided to be allied under the same banner, L'Alternative.The same day, a meeting was due to take place in Paris between the national decision-makers of the Udi and the Modem to settle the Angers case, after the Udi national leaders confirmed the nomination of Laurent Gérault, Udi delegate, so centrist (and himself supported by some Modem members!), as candidate for Angers mayor office. If the Modem leader at the Angers city council, Bernard Dupré, said he was sure that the way of an union with Christophe Béchu would get a "go-ahead", another of his colleagues in the minority side of the same assembly, Daniel Dimicoli (Parti radical) admitted implicitely that this was not so sure : "a choice has been made up even if we don't agree".

J.L. Rotureau

On the other side of the political landscape, i.e. on the left, Jean-Luc Rotureau, former Angers deputy-mayor and candidate to mayor office, claimed that France 3, a public tv channel, had choosen to organize a debate only between Frédéric Béatse, socialist candidate and current mayor and his conservative challenger, Christophe Béchu. Under the title "Voice is free", the broadcast will consecuently exclude the other candidates. Why, asked Mr. Rotureau who said he was shocked, pointing out that "the voice is not free".