Under the sun of the Côte d’Azur, Eric Zemmour describes his campaign for the legislative elections, which is very different from his presidential campaign. “Quiet, on the ground, with people who love me”, he compares, in front of the yachts of the port of Saint-Tropez, Saturday, May 21. This stopover « bling-bling », in the words of its campaign manager, Sarah Knafo, is only one step of the turn of the 4e constituency of the Var, in which he is running, between Cogolin, Sainte-Maxime, Le Lavandou or Bormes-les-Mimosas. Marine Le Pen dominated the entire department in the two rounds of the presidential election, but the far-right essayist, with 22.42% of the vote, was close behind her in the small jet-set town, which was his vacation spot.
At the Saint-Tropez market, his walk begins without jostling or cameras. “What’s the plan?” », asks his deputy, Marc-Etienne Lansade (ex-National Rally, RN), mayor of Cogolin and former real estate agent, hands in his pockets, who serves as his guide. From one stall to another, Mr. Zemmour bends over the simmering paellas, strawberries from Carpentras or the nose of a Napoleon modeled in terracotta that a second-hand dealer, fan of the royalist youtuber Papacito, sells for 2,000 euros . The welcome is warm, although the trail is marked. “To avoid having unpleasant people”, will justify the candidate to a crumpled exponent.
Some critics whistle in its path. “Parachuted, but tanned like a Tropézien”, notes Jerry, a retired doctor, who regrets that“we hear that we have to try everything, whereas we have already tried the extreme right with Pétain”. “France, I do not see it homophobic, misogynistic or racist. He immigrated to us, but what does he know about the Var? », protests Stéphan, a 55-year-old cheese maker. The reflection irritates the neighboring shopkeeper, who sends back a «Collabo! ».
« Maillage territorial »
Eric Zemmour says that his foray into politics began here, in this region, with the first meetings in Toulon and Nice. “The Var people love me”, says the leader with Poujadist accents, who appreciates his audience ” from small traders, craftsmen, people who made themselves. He still believes in“alliance of the patriotic bourgeoisie and the popular classes”, between the rich coastline and the hinterland. Whatever his failure in the presidential election, he only sees the fault of Vladimir Putin who, by starting the war in Ukraine, would have “skewed the ballot”… “I don’t change anything, I continue to think that there is a way”, he maintains, for the “Ideological lineage of French nationalism”.
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