“Political fault”, “need for transparency”, Rubirola under fire from critics after his candidacy for departmental

The announcement, in The world first, then in an interview with Provence, caused quite a stir in the political microcosm of Marseille. At the end of the week, Michèle Rubirola, now known as the ephemeral mayor of Marseille since his resignation for health reasons, announced his willingness to stand for the next departmental, scheduled for June. Michèle Rubirola was indeed elected in the last elections in 2015, in tandem with a certain…. Benoît Payan, former first socialist deputy turned mayor.

“Being mayor of the second largest city in France, which is moreover in a difficult situation, has nothing to do with being a departmental councilor,” she explains in the columns of the regional daily. “I am not a candidate for the presidency, if that is what you mean”, she added, adding to be “in rehabilitation every morning” after a new knee operation. During her last media appearance, a few days ago, the one who is now the first assistant in charge of health issues appeared on a crutch, being able to hardly stand up.

“She can’t pretend nothing has happened”

“It is at least clumsy, even a little daring, at most a political fault, tackles the LR mayor of the sector Lionel Royer-Perreault, also departmental councilor candidate for his re-election in Marseille. Of course she has the right to present herself: it is a question between her and her conscience. But she can’t pretend nothing has happened. She has largely scripted her resignation, and the reasons for her resignation, to get the unacceptable accepted. When I am in the field, people, who have already experienced this switch very badly, do not understand. The resignation dates from last December. It’s still fresh in the collective unconscious. “

Among the Greens, the political family of origin of the former mayor, a time suspended by the party for having joined the Marseille Spring, confusion is also in order. “For us, environmentalists, it is unthinkable that it is not part of the dynamic for the next departmental, considers a Marseille EELV manager. His candidacy for Marseille brought hope, and to ignore it would be a mistake. However, we believe that it is not mandatory that his participation be in the form of an application. “

A debate among environmentalists

And to estimate: “On social networks, at the announcement of this candidacy, she was killed. If she campaigns, she will be questioned about it, that’s for sure! Rubirola has a duty of transparency on his state vis-à-vis the voters. There is a misunderstanding, including among Marseille environmental activists. We are against the accumulation of mandates, so how to explain the Rubirola case? “

According to our information, the question of attributing the EELV label to this candidacy of Rubirola for the departmental would even be debated within the party, the candidate not being up to date with her contributions. It must be said that relations between the former mayor and his party of origin have been somewhat weakened in recent months. At the time of rallying, against the advice of the Greens, the left-wing coalition of the Marseille Spring, Michèle Rubirola had been suspended from the movement. Between the two rounds, the EELV candidate Sébastien Barles had finally rallied Michèle Rubirola, who came first, and the party had reinstated the doctor.

On the side of the Marseille Spring, we assure it, this is not the time for controversy. Asked by 20 minutes On the subject, Sophie Camard, linchpin of this coalition, responds with a short text: “Nothing special to say. His possible candidacy and the canton are being discussed in an overall scenario. “The mayor of the 1-7 sector is in fact expected to stand in the canton of Marseille-1, in the city center… ie the canton to which Michèle Rubirola was elected in 2015. Contacted, Michèle Rubirola did not responded to our requests at the time of this writing.