Legislative elections in the Gard: will the “bastion” of the Cévennes end up falling ?

Alexandre Allegret-Pilot, candidat soutenu par Éric Ciotti et le RN. DR

Agnès Olinet, candidate Lutte Ouvrière. DR

Michel Sala, LFI/NFP deputy, candidate for re-election. Midi Free – ALEXIS BETHUNE

Alésien Nordine Tria, former president of Alès, candidate without label. Midi Free – ALEXIS BETHUNE

Catherine Daufès-Roux, ex-LREM MP (2020-2022), candidate for rebirth. Midi Free – ALEXIS BETHUNE

Léa Boyer, candidate LR pour la troisième élection consécutive. Midi Libre – STEPHANE BARBIER

Historiquement marquée à gauche, la 5e circonscription du Gard a vu une nouvelle percée du Rassemblement national lors des élections européennes. Il pourrait, cette fois-ci, briser le plafond de verre.

It is the largest district in Gard and certainly the most remote. From Alès to Vigan, via La Grand-Combe and the Cévennes Piedmont, the 5th constituency includes 136 communes and all the Cévennes Gardoises.
Since 1988 (except 1993-1997, occupied by the RPR Alain Danilet), it has served as a “bastion” for the left, with Alain Journet (1988-1993), Damien Alary (1997-2007) then William Dumas (2007-2017). An anchor that resonates with a historically popular electorate, partly from agricultural and working-class backgrounds.

In 2017, the Macronist wave changed the situation and placed Olivier Gaillard. But unconvinced by LREM's policy, he resigned and gave way, in 2020, to his deputy, Catherine Daufès-Roux. Candidate in 2022, she is unable to reach the second round.

Rising tide of the RN

The place is left, once again, to the National Rally. Jean-Marie Launay, a Gard frontist but not from the constituency, arrives in the second round against LFI Michel Sala. The Nupes candidate is elected, but the RN, at 47%, records here the highest score in its history for legislative elections. He confirms his Cévennes breakthrough in the European elections of June 9.
Since his election, Michel Sala has wanted to mobilize left-wing forces. In Alès, he brought in Nupes pundits (Clémentine Autain, Sandrine Rousseau…) on several occasions during major demonstrations, including those against pension reform. In the hemicycle, he tries to intervene on issues affecting his voters. By showing support for La Grand-Combe, which had seen its status as a priority district of the City (QPV) threatened, or by questioning the government on the eternal pollutants which would affect the industrial site of Salindres, although the municipality is not in his constituency.

After the fires in Bordezac and Bessèges, in the summer of 2022, he alerted Gérald Darmanin to the tension in the workforce in the prevention and rescue services. But in constituencies, several elected officials nevertheless regret the absence of the deputy at numerous invitations, or his inertia in the face of local problems: isolation, medical desertification or unemployment.

A complicated land to conquer ?

The MP returns to the campaign carrying the values ​​of the New Popular Front. But it remains weakened by the divisive positions of La France Insoumise since the start of the conflict in the Middle East. His opponents do not hesitate to take advantage of it, the RN and Renaissance in the lead. Undoubtedly lacking a strong face in the territory, but also entangled by the legal setbacks of Emmanuel Espanol, their first candidate, the Frontist party is retrying the parachuting strategy by supporting the Ciottist Alexandre Allegret- Pilot, young Savoyard enarque with a full CV, currently a senior civil servant at the Ministry of Finance.

Voters will also find Catherine Daufès-Roux, still supporting Emmanuel Macron, and LR Léa Boyer, who reiterates her “roots” in the Cévennes. The surprise could also come from Alésien Nordine Tria, without a label and whose great career as a lawyer could be an asset.

The first round, on June 30, will allow us to see if the Cévennes ultimately vote for the RN by adhesion.

Michel Sala at the National Assembly

Former mayor of Saint-Félix-de-Pallières, Michel Sala has been in the National Assembly since 2022. In two years, the LFI deputy is not one of the parliamentarians who speak the most . Member of the Finance Committee, he is also the author, with many of his peers, of the bill aiming to fix in the Constitution the retirement age at 62 years, or of that wanting to impose a new tax on profits of large companies. Conversely, he opposed several bills, including that aimed at strengthening the fight against sectarian abuses.

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