Jacline Mouraud: from Bohal to Brussels?
Wheeling and dealing among the "spokespersons" of the Yellow Vests? Some of them quickly learned the trade and, it appears, are preparing a list for the European elections. Will we see Jacline Mouraud in Brussels?
What's up with Jacline Mouraud? We knew her as a revolutionary woman. Shouting to the President of the Republic: "What are you doing with the money? Apart from replacing the dishes in the Elysée or building swimming pools", (Challenges, November 8, 2018). Very inflamed, she said before the first major demonstration of the Yellow Vests on November 17: "Yes, let's block the country". Her motto: "When will the harasment of the drivers end? "In two weeks, she had 5.5 million views for her video published on Twitter. Here is this 51-year-old hypno-therapist-accordionist who has become a media star (radio, TV, newspapers). In Bohal (near Ploërmel), people are amazed.
In a second phase, she becomes "reasonable" but always determined: "The mobilization continues. Everything will depend on what the President of the Republic says on Tuesday. We will not stop the movement until we are satisfied. There are people in great pain who are waiting for concrete action right now, particularly in terms of lowering taxes. Of course, I deplore all the violence we saw on Saturday in Paris. This must not hide the essence of our approach, which is peaceful. "(Le Figaro, Monday 26 November 2018). "Emmanuel Macron has just signed the next phase of the movement. It will get tougher, of course.... He can hear us from afar. It seems like the echo doesn't reach him. The result is that the movement will get tougher, it's bound to be," she continues (C News, Tuesday, November 27, 2018).
But quickly, a typically political speech took over. In an appeal signed with nine other "spokespersons of the Free Yellow Vests" who present themselves as "committed and free citizens", she called for "respect for the institutions of the Fifth Republic, public order, property and people".
As for her demands, they concern taxation, "territorial and mobility foundations", the organisation of referendums on major social and societal orientations, the adoption of proportional representation for legislative elections (Journal du dimanche, 2 December 2018).
All this smells like normalization.
Third step: Jacline Mouraud is concerned about the radicalisation of the movement. Because "it attracts moderates, including myself, but also extremists and anarchists". Indeed, "with the government that allowed the situation to deteriorate, moderates finally turned to more determined yellow vests and groups that want chaos in France".
But the yellow vests have proved useful: "This movement, which was born out of people's distress, has given them a voice. Until then, everyone was exhausted hiding their lack of money. Since then, it has been no longer a shame to say that you can't make ends meet. This movement has made it possible to reveal what millions of French people are going through. "However, one reality must be taken into account: "This movement is nowadays beyond the control of the Yellow Vests themselves. There are people who don't want to hear anything anymore. Raise their mimimum wage, they'd still be angry. We can't stop them now. " (Le Figaro, Friday 7 December 2018)
So "Jacline" no longer knows where to turn in order to organize a way out of the crisis. Some of her comrades in the "Free Yellow Vests" have found a way. This is the case of Christophe Chalençon, spokesman for Provence region, who is "part of the Yellow Vests that are
working behind the scenes to create a list for the European elections." Without delay, LREM (Macron's party) commissioned a survey from the Ipsos Institute on the possible score of a list of Yellow Vests in the European elections. The result goes beyond the expectations of the macronists. A list LREM/MoDem would get 21%, Rassemblement national 14%, EELV (environmentalists) 13%, Yellow Vests 12%, Republicans 11% and Les Insoumis (Mélenchon's party) 9%.
Conclusion: the presence of a list of yellow vests could drain the votes for Le Pen and Mélenchon. Already, two "yellow" lists are reportedly being organized (Le Canard enchaîné, 12 December 2018).
For the financing of the campaign, Chalençon and his friends will not have to worry about anything. Thanks to the "special" funds, the Elysée and Matignon will provide for this. When he was President of the Republic, Jacques Chirac had set up a similar operation with "Chasse-pêche-nature-tradition".
(…)
The technique used by the government in 1998 to weaken the National Front could very well reappear in 2019. The objective this time being to prevent the RN-FN from winning... and coming out a winner in these European elections. According to the latest Ipsos survey published by L'Opinion, it is the RN list that would come out on top with 24% compared to 18% for the macronist list. Some food for thought.
It is perhaps on this side that we must look for the reason for Jacline Mouraud's current "moderation". Well placed on a Yellow Vests list, she could be elected as a European MP... What a pride for Bohal!
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