Happy Nice Mall

MONTPELLIER, France – Yannick Jadot, the French Green Party candidate in the April presidential election, walked through a small cheering crowd to a podium filled with banners with his face, speakers blasted a version of “What a Wonderful World” by punk rock singer Joey Ramone. The candidate nodded to the beat.

The event, which took place one recent afternoon in the sun-drenched central square of Montpellier, a major city on France’s Mediterranean coast, had all the embellishments of a dynamic and enthusiastic campaign. “Environmentalism is fun!” said a speaker introducing Mr. Jadot.

But with less than 30 days into the first round of the French presidential election, the Green Party’s campaign has so far not sparked much public excitement. Mr Jadot has been stuck around for weeks. 5 percent in pollsapproximately one-third of the share of the top three right-wing contestants and one-sixth of the support President Emmanuel Macron.

Mr Jadot said in an interview that “the French have not yet invested in the election campaign” as the pandemic and other more dramatic issues such as the war in Ukraine had drawn much of their attention. He added that he is “confident” that voters will soon focus on environmental issues.

However, until now, issues such as the following dominated the process leading up to the election: security, immigration and National Identityreflecting France’s last shift to the right. By one comparison, climate issues were largely ignored, accounting for 2.5 percent of the elections in the past four weeks. study Published by various environmental groups.

The problem, analysts say, is that the French Greens have failed to bring new ideas and create a clear, coherent platform that goes beyond their core issues. They also point to the party’s struggle to be seen as a reliable government force that can deal with issues like diplomacy and defence, as in Germany, where the Greens are now part of a group. three-party government coalition.

Inside last try, Bruno LatourFrench anthropologist and philosopher, Nikolaj SchultzA Danish sociologist said environmental parties fail to come up with inspiring narratives that offer hope for a better world.

“For now, environmental politics manages to stir the minds into panic and yawning from boredom,” they wrote.

Hoping to get rid of this negative image, Mr. Jadot has recently embarked on a tour of France that will bring him to 15 cities by the beginning of April. All campaign stops are designed to connect with voters, with Mr Jadot addressing them from a small octagonal podium.

Mr Jadot said he wanted to solve “both sides of the equation” by convincing voters that it was time for real climate action and that doing so could bring about a better lifestyle or “a new kind of enthusiasm.”

“Taking action for the climate means economic innovation, good nutrition through sustainable and small-scale farming,” he said. “It’s basically about regaining control of one’s life.”

In Montpellier, where around 500 people gathered, Mr. Jadot’s speech was filled with concrete proposals, including the $11 billion “Marshall Plan” for home insulation to halve energy consumption. He is also planning ban the use of dangerous pesticides and creating a new wealth tax that reflects the environmental impact of some investments.

“In essence, these are very relevant proposals,” said Daphné Destevian, 50, a project manager at an offshore renewable energy institute.

But when it came to the candidate’s approach, Ms. Destevian did not budge. “She yells a lot,” she said. “I find it a little aggressive.”

Standing on a podium resembling a boxing ring, Mr. Jadot, in a combative tone, denounced the government for signing free trade agreements, attacked French energy giant TotalEnergies and liked it. Mr Macron’s pro-nuclear measures extreme right or authoritarian government policies

Jérémie Peltier, an opinion expert at the Foundation Jean-Jaurès research institute, said this hue could be detrimental to the Greens. “When you listen to Yannick Jadot,” he said, “you always feel like you’re being scolded.”

Mr. Jadot’s supporters in Montpellier were well aware of the need to convey more optimism, such as the positivity emanating from the sun. Youth climate protests in 2019.

Jose BoveA longtime Greens and anti-globalization activist, he said the “war we have to win” is to prove that environmentalism is “a fun project, a project that makes people feel good”.

Marie-Noël De Visscher, 70, a former researcher in agricultural science, said the Greens needed to show “we can do great things and it’s fun to ride the train” rather than “make people feel guilty”.

This challenge has been particularly acute on the economic front as the Greens sought to reconcile the fight against climate change with the fight against economic insecurity. Mr. Jadot is performing poorly with working class voters. fearing the impact of the clean energy transition on livelihoods.

Sociologist Mr Schultz said the Greens “focus too much on negative narratives, on punitive narratives” – promoting ideas such as limiting the growth of the economy through restrictions on food and energy consumption.

Standing out from the crowd, longtime Green supporter Bruno Cécillon admitted that “people are worried” because they “are worried that they won’t be able to live as peacefully as they used to, get in their cars, turn on the heaters, run their clothes.” air conditioning without a second thought.”

While the French Greens have gained a reputation at the local level (they now control some of France’s largest cities, including Lyon and Bordeaux, and rule the lives of more than two million French people), it’s still a work in progress at the national level.

daniel boyA political scientist at Science-Po university in Paris said the Greens were not considered trustworthy on issues that are a president’s prerogative, such as security or international relations. “Can we imagine an ecologist talking to Putin?” He said and expressed the concerns of the voters.

In response, Mr Boy added that the Greens in Germany are seen as a more competent and pragmatic political party, capable of making coalition deals with centrist forces and engaging in debates on non-environmental issues. Annalena BaerbockHe was the candidate of the German Greens in last year’s national elections, and today serves as the country’s foreign minister.

Mr. Jadot said he was ready to rule France. “I want to rule this country,” he said. “I want to be responsible.”

But in Montpellier his supporters were already looking more suspicious.

Mr. Cécillon told Mr. Jadot that he would vote “not to get him elected – I don’t think he will be elected – because what I’m interested in is to make this ecological consideration carry weight”.

“A society doesn’t change like that overnight,” he said. “It takes time, it’s slow.”