Farmer, trade unionist, Sciences-Po graduate: who is Céline Imart, number 2 of the Republicans for the European elections ?

Céline Imart, numéro 2 de la liste Les Républicains aux européennes. MAXPPP – Fred Dugit

La Tarnaise de 41 ans, agricultrice, figure en deuxième position sur la liste Les Républicains menée par François-Xavier Bellamy. Portrait.

At the beginning of January, farmer Céline Imart, trade unionist, member of the FDSEA Tarn office, was active at a roadblock, participating in the blocking of the A68.

And this week, she walked the aisles of the agricultural show, flanked by Éric Ciotti and François-Xavier Bellamy, respectively president and head of the Republican list in the European elections. But this time as a candidate for this same election, she who occupies second place on the LR list.

"Surprise" by the proposal of Eric Ciotti

"Through my union activity, for which I have now withdrawn, I had had the opportunity to frequently discuss issues with elected officials and political leaders. agricultural she remembered this Friday. And then in January, Éric Ciotti contacted me. I thought he wanted to talk to me about these things.

Except that not only: because the boss of the Republicans came to their first meeting, in February, with his candidacy proposal in hand:"I was very surprised, I really didn't expect it. I didn't give my answer immediately, I thought a lot, hesitated. Because it was a whole personal balance to rethink, in relation to my personal life, and my professional life".

The private sector, the company, then the family farm

Before saying yes: "I wanted to go into combat, faced with this distress that we feel, as if we were not understood, with this avalanche of rules, norms…" 

A "we" to talk about agriculture, the common thread of its singular trajectory : "I am the sixth generation to work on the family farm. I took it up again thirteen years ago. We grow large crops, cereals, oilseeds, and legumes…" she explains.

Before giving this direction to her career, the Tarnaise, graduated from Sciences-Po Paris and Essec, "had known something else, yes, since I’ worked in the private sector, in business".

"Few field people on the lists"

As administrative and financial director for the transport and logistics subsidiary of the Bolloré group in Chile, or as a consultant in a consulting firm in Paris, indicate the first elements revealed of her biography.< /p>

But her "vocation" as a farmer, she assures that she will come back : "On a mandate it's worth going, but I'm not considering a career in politics" she assures.

In the meantime, she counts well"to make my contribution, there are ultimately few people on the ground on the lists. And I will naturally be very involved in agricultural issues, but also in all those linked to working France."

"Moving the lines"

And to find "many points in common between politics and the union fight: carrying ideas, a vision, defending interests, getting involved, move the lines".

What she intends to tackle during this campaign, alongside François Xavier-Bellmay, "an intelligent, brilliant, very upright man, which is not in the little phrase".

With whom, from next week, she will travel to Romania, where the EPP congress will take place, the group to which the LR deputies in the European Parliament are affiliated, in Strasbourg And within which she intends to sit after the June 9 vote.

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