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Environmentalists in Nantes overwhelmingly voted on Tuesday, October 14th, to form an alliance with the Socialist Party (PS) ahead of upcoming municipal elections, a move that has ignited a sharp rebuke from the La France Insoumise (LFI) party. The decision, finalized after a vote among party activists, signals a critically important shift in the political landscape of the city and sets the stage for a perhaps contentious campaign.
A Decisive Vote for Unity
The environmentalist party faced a critical juncture: pursue a unified front with the PS, join forces with LFI, or run independently. Ultimately, 81% of the 180 voters opted for the alliance with the PS, demonstrating a clear preference for collaboration. This contrasts sharply with the 8.5% who favored a union with LFI and the 7.9% who advocated for an autonomous list, mirroring strategies employed in 2020 and 2014.
“The important thing now is to go on the campaign trail,” said Emma Vitoux, the environmentalist candidate, emphasizing the need to present a united front to voters. She positioned their collaborative project as offering “a project of hope for the people of nantes. For a fairer, more feminist, more ecological city.”
While the question of potential deputy positions remains unresolved, Vitoux downplayed its immediate importance. “When I am with the residents,no one discusses this subject,” she explained.”So the objective is not to distribute anything,the important thing is what do we want tomorrow.”
The agreement, according to Vitoux, is rooted in a commitment to an ambitious agenda focused on protecting the surroundings, repairing public services, and combating social injustices. “popular ecology will be raised to the highest level during this municipal campaign,” she affirmed, expressing confidence in the strength of the union.
Mayor Rolland echoed this sentiment, stating, “An agreement from 1is In turn, this creates the conditions for real collective momentum.” She characterized the choice as “a hoped-for choice, awaited by all men and women of the left.”
Concrete Proposals for the City
Rolland and Vitoux jointly unveiled several key proposals, including:
- The creation of an additional 150 km of cycle paths throughout the city.
- An expansion of free public transport to include an additional 15,000 low-income residents,building on existing weekend access. The estimated cost of this measure is €700,000.
- Provision of a free snack for all nursery and primary school children.
- Establishing nantes as a “city of refuge,” offering support to exiles regardless of their status. Rolland clarified that this initiative focuses on providing services to those already within the city, while acknowledging the need for a regulated national immigration policy.
“cities can be territories of resistance, but also territories of connection,” Vitoux added. The alliance also pledged that 40% of new housing in Nantes will be designated as social housing, with an additional 20% allocated as affordable housing.
LFI Condemns the Alliance as a Betrayal
The announcement drew immediate criticism from LFI, which accused the environmentalists of effectively endorsing the current mayor and perpetuating a flawed urban model. In a press release,LFI argued that the alliance represents a continuation of policies they have previously denounced as creating an “unequal city,concreted and disconnected from the daily life of its inhabitants.”
LFI further criticized the Socialist Party for supporting the Macronist government,framing their own platform as a necessary “break after 30 years of liberal metropolisation.” They revealed that they had previously attempted to forge a union with the greens, an effort hampered by internal divisions within the left-wing party.
“By their choice, and from our point of view, ecologists abandon popular ecology and assume in this election the record of the outgoing socialist mayor, even though widely contested by the people of Nantes,” the press release concluded.LFI has announced that William Aucant and Erika Cadersah will lead their electoral list.