Battle of referendums in sight among ecologists. While the majority motion, Grandir (that of Julien Bayou, current number 1 of the Greens), presented a militant initiative referendum in July with a view to changing the statutes of EELV before the next congress scheduled for the start of month of December, his opponents, Alain Coulombel in the lead, are preparing a counter-offensive.
Annoyed by this initiative unsheathed in the heart of the summer, described as a “coup d’etat” by some ecologists, the party spokesperson and figure of the left wing is working on the drafting of another referendum proposing to shift the date of the Greens congress. “We propose that the consultation phase be carried out during the last quarter of 2022 and that the statutory and regulatory modifications be validated by a referendum organized before the end of January 2023, writes the working text consulted by Le Parisien. In order for the new rules adopted to be applicable from the next congress which was to take place in December 2022, it will be postponed by way of derogation before the beginning of April 2023 to mid-April 2023.
Clearly: if he agrees to “refound” the statutes of the party, Alain Coulombel criticizes the “method” presented by the majority motion of the movement and the too “short” calendar left to the members to “appropriate the statutes “.
“The goal for them is to get a little more control of the movement”
According to our information, Grandir hopes to initiate the reform of the statutes by October. “Statutes cannot be created in a month! The objective is to try, to bring reason to those around Marine Tondelier (unofficial candidate for the majority motion at the next convention) who are seeking to set up a hussar-style referendum, ”explains Alain Coulombel to Le Parisien. “The goal for them, by going fast, is to put a little more control over the movement, he continues. They express a form of aversion to sensitivities. In short, they exaggerate on the way of presenting things! The subject was broached during the last executive office. “They are so sure of themselves that they want to force through, insists Alain Coulombel. I told them : Be reasonable. But they don’t want to hear anything. »
Since their failure in the presidential election, environmentalists have been wondering: how to reorganize a party with a complex internal functioning to try to compete with La France insoumise, central formation of Nupes? This is the major challenge of the next Greens congress. This referendum battle comes in this context of formation of the different teams to win EELV. Alain Coulombel is therefore working on his proposal with Hélène Hardy, member of the executive board and ex-negotiator with Nupes. “We are going to file it at the beginning of next week, we are currently finalizing the last terms”, explains Alain Coulombel. “There are all the other executives of the movement around the referendum – apart from Grandir – to support our procedure”, he assures.
“If the two referendums are adopted, we will be in deep shit…”, agrees Alain Coulombel. Who concludes: “If they come to their senses and remove their referendum, we will have no reason to extend ours. It remains for the 13,000 green members to decide on one or the other.