A deputy defector
In this strange National Assembly, Aurélien Taché, 38, is a special case. But not unique. In 2017, he was elected, in the 10e constituency of Val-d’Oise, deputy La République en Marche (LRM). Five years later, he was re-elected (with 55.76% of the vote) but under the label New People’s Ecological and Social Union (Nupes). In the meantime, he supported the mayor of Grenoble, Eric Piolle, in the environmental primary, then Yannick Jadot in the presidential election.
An astonishing trajectory taken by three other “walking” deputies: Cédric Villani, Delphine Bagarry and Hubert Julien-Laferrière. Finally, only the latter, deputy of the 2e constituency of the Rhône, will accompany Aurélien Taché on this crossroads. Both will sit in the National Assembly with the ecologists. “I led a campaign on the betrayal of Macron’s promises. And I was perfectly understood by the voters,” rejoices Aurélien Tache.
A disappointed socialist
Born in Niort (Deux-Sèvres) to civil servant parents, the young teenager Aurélien Taché looked for himself for a long time. Earring and black jacket, he picks up in class of 3e and started learning plumbing. He returned to university in Limoges, with a capacity in law. This is where he gets politicized. Boss of the local UNEF, he campaigned against Nicolas Sarkozy’s law on university autonomy and entered the Socialist Youth Movement. This is the beginning of a political career.
After a little companionship with Jean-Paul Huchon, the former socialist president of the Île-de-France region, he joined the cabinet of Sylvia Pinel, housing minister in the government of Manuel Valls, then Emmanuelle Cosse (at the same ministerial portfolio). The project of forfeiture of nationality ends up disgusting him with the PS. In 2017, he left to campaign for Emmanuel Macron.
A member of the Poitiers gang
Among the young socialists, in Poitiers, Aurélien Taché crossed paths with Sacha Houlié, Guillaume Chiche, Pierre Person and Stéphane Séjourné. The five friends will be among the first “walkers”. The first four are elected MPs, Séjourné becomes political adviser to the Head of State before being elected as an MEP. Together, they become the famous band of Poitiers, embodying the left wing of Macronie. But the right-handed turn at the start of the five-year term will blow up their group.
In March 2020, Taché and Chiche slammed the door of LRM and founded with a few rebels a small party attached to the majority. Six months later, Pierre Person resigns from his position as number two of LRM – he has since left politics. Only Sacha Houlié (re-elected) and Stéphane Séjourné, who became the boss of the liberal group in the European Parliament, remained loyal to the president.
One of the terrible children of Macronie
The least that can be said is that Aurélien Taché’s mandate has not been easy. Throughout the five-year term, he multiplied the controversies, in an astonishing mixture of political calculation and profound awkwardness. Defender of public freedoms and open secularism, he has not stopped fighting against the vision defended by Jean-Michel Blanquer, the Minister of National Education.
One day, the deputy compares the veil of young Muslim women to the “headband” of Catholics. Another, he assures that RN spokesperson Julien Odoul “recovers the words of Jean-Michel Blanquer” on the wearing of the veil – the minister had felt that it was not “desirable” during school outings. Finally, he” surprised “ which state “meddles in polygamy” in its law against separatism. Each time, it’s conflagration. Each time, he has to adjust his words. But, obviously, the voters did not blame him.