In this strange presidential campaign, anesthetized by the Covid and then jostled by the war in Ukraine, the candidates are trying, as best they can, to be heard. Alongside the traditional meetings and media appearances, a trend is confirmed: major thematic oral presentations, organized by associations or professional branches.
This week, the contenders for the Elysée Palace had the opportunity to speak on Wednesday, before the union of industries and trades in the metallurgy, the digital world, or even the confederation of small and medium-sized enterprises; Thursday, in front of the firefighters and the CFDT; Friday, in front of the assizes of the producer in France… These very conventional sequences allow them to unfold their proposals without adversity. But the proliferation of these events also gives their teams a headache.
“They try to convince us to participate by swaying us”
“It’s hell! The smallest association wants its great oral. Every day, there is something, we are solicited from all sides, including by associations formed for the occasion, ”breathes a relative of a candidate. “Professional associations now use consulting firms for their communication. We find ourselves harassed and overwhelmed with requests of all kinds, several a day, from the classic trade fair to the written questionnaire, everyone has their requirements,” grinds Sébastien Chenu. And Marine Le Pen’s spokesperson confided, amused: “They try to convince us to participate by teasing us:” all the candidates answered present “, and in the end we end up with the third underling, the delegate department of I-don’t-know-which canton”.
This profusion of invitations forces the teams to make choices. “We wonder if it’s representative, if it affects enough people, if we have a suitable message. We declined insurance recently because it was not considered a priority over firefighters, police, or hospital staff, ”adds the RN deputy from the North. “These great orals are now part of the campaign so the agenda is busier. But faced with the multiplication of requests, Yannick Jadot cannot always be present. So we rely on our entire team to respond as widely as possible to requests, ”says the entourage of the environmental candidate.
Watch out for misses
This exercise is not prepared like a TV show or a public meeting. “Professionals expect precise and technical answers, whereas on a news channel, you have to answer on all subjects in 15 minutes. It’s not the same type of concentration either, it’s cooler, less political, there isn’t the same aggressiveness opposite, ”whistles Sébastien Chenu. “It’s almost targeted information. It’s useful because we never have the space to talk about crafts or public works for 45 minutes. This allows us to go into the details of the proposals, show the solidity of our project, and infuse with the various professional organizations, ”says Boris Vallaud, spokesperson for Anne Hidalgo.
This profusion of requests is also the consequence of the particular course of this campaign, adds Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, PS mayor of Rouen. “It’s true that there are a lot of them, but it shows the democratic appetite in the country, at a time when some refuse the debates”, stings this other support of the socialist candidate.
“It’s a strong trend, which shows a desire to bring politicians and civil society closer together, analyzes Bruno Cautrès, researcher at Cevipof. It allows candidates to give a good image of themselves, by covering angles that they don’t always have time to deal with. But these specific subjects require good preparation in advance to avoid a crash”. Christiane Taubira had paid the price, at the beginning of February, in front of the Abbé Pierre Foundation. Visibly ill-prepared, the candidate had multiplied the hesitations and approximations on housing issues, attracting ridicule from the public and her opponents.