SURVEY France 3 Burgundy. François Rebsamen towards support for Emmanuel Macron

All sources agree, François Rebsamen, the mayor of Dijon (Côte-d’Or), should support Emmanuel Macron in the presidential race. The announcement of the rallying of the former number 2 of the PS should be made after the entry into the campaign of the Head of State.

This is the wave of great recruitment. After Eric Woerth, Natacha Bouchart and Nora Berra from the Republicans, Emmanuel Macron is preparing to register the rallying of François Rebsamen, the mayor of Dijon (Côte-d’Or). According to several sources contacted this Friday, February 11 by France 3 Bourgogne, the former number 2 of the PS should soon announce his support for the outgoing president in the presidential race.

Rumors had been circulating for several days about the potential rallying of this close friend of François Hollande. For many local political figures, the announcement of the decision is only a matter of days. “For the moment, nothing is done… but he will do it”blows a Dijon source. “There’s no smoke without fire”slips a LREM deputy who adds that François Sauvadet, UDI president of the Côte-d’Or department should also favor Emmanuel Macron in the campaign.

According to observers, François Rebsamen is still awaiting the official candidacy of the outgoing president to formalize his rallying. Sources say Emmanuel Macron’s entry into the campaign should be announced before the opening of the Agricultural Show. “It will probably be between February 20 and 22.“believes one of our sources, a parliamentarian from Burgundy.

Contacted by France 3 Bourgogne, François Rebsamen reacts to rumours. “I am a socialist. I remain a socialist. I do not join LREM or Territories of Progress. For my vote in the presidential election, it is something else”.

I have points of agreement with the president but I remain vigilant. I’m waiting to see his program.

Francois Rebsamen

François Rebsamen is already working with other figures on the left to engage alongside Emmanuel Macron. According to several corroborating sources, “his commitment will not be made alone. He will go with other left-wing elected officials”. Concretely, the mayor of Dijon hopes to form a group of former PS capable of influencing the future presidential majority.

Less than two months before the first round of the election, the probable future candidate is leading a strategy of recruiting major political figures from different parties. If he has already attracted this week Eric Woerth, Natacha Bouchart and Nora Berra, members of the Republicans, siphoning at the same time the right and Valérie Pécresse, the Head of State is also targeting heavyweights from the left in order to expand its electoral spectrum. All while many elected officials are leaving the PS ship, undermined by divisions and Anne Hidalgo’s campaign, to join LREM. “It’s the mess on the left”loose an elected member of François Mitterrand’s party.

The PS is a sectarian party

François Rebsamen – September 17, 2021

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For many, the potential rallying of François Rebsamen is anything but a surprise. The Burgundian elected official has been gravitating around the LREM sphere for several months now. “He is already taking part in meetings with the Macronist networks of Holland”confides a critical observer.

Last July, the former number 2 of the PS signed the tribune of the mayors underlining the “courage” by Emmanuel Macron. On October 9, 2021, he was seen at the congress of Territories of Progress, the movement bringing together members of the left wing of the presidential majority. In a message of support to the government, he then declared, “we will be led tomorrow to pursue common causes”. The former Minister of Labor also led a study last year on housing construction in France at the request of Jean Castex.

A rapprochement initiated by Emmanuel Macron himself, who exchanges very frequently with the mayor of Dijon by message according to our information. Several ministers (Jean Castex, Roselyne Bachelot, Olivier Véran or even Marlène Schiappa) also came to visit the city of the dukes.

As a reminder, the former minister under François Hollande was critical of the action of the head of state at the start of his five-year term. In November 2019, he launched in particular: “There is a discrepancy between Macron’s words and actions on the ground“. In October 2018, he also judges that“Emmanuel Macron implements a policy that he had not announced. He favors the wealthiest in this country.”.

The rallying of François Rebsamen, who is part of the 2022 promotion of the Legion of Honor, to Emmanuel Macron should fold the cards in the local political chessboard. The mayor of Dijon and president of the metropolis relies on a majority of elected leftists. Deputy youth delegate, Hamid El Hassouni has also announced that he will support Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the presidential election.

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