Political scientist Florent Cougu understands Eric Biol’s candidacy for Green Party primary

This Wednesday, June 30th guest, Florent Couco, a political scientist and science-expert in left-wing ecology and author-researcher at Bo Grenoble. He is analyzing the candidacy of Grenoble Mayor Eric Biol for the top spot in Europe’s Ecological Leswerts for the presidential election.

Hello Florent Cougou, Eric Biol is finally being announced as this environmental primary candidate for the presidential election. That is an open secret. Will it change anything for him?

Florent Cougou – According to him, he should be more determined to be under the fire of the media, respond to interviews or explain the meaning of his candidacy. Until then, he can prepare himself in his corner, prepare his plan, and from now on he will have to take it publicly and in the media.

Maybe get disgraced? Because we can see that Eric Biol has this deficit compared to Yannick Jodot, who was the leader of the European elections two years ago.

Florent Kou Kou – Yes, this time it is his main role. Like the problem he has to face in Grenoble in 2014. Between the two rounds of the municipal election, we saw how it was already possible to get disgraced by the end of the first round. Today, he faces the same problem. In 2019, Europeans Yanik Jadot topped Europe’s list of environmental les wards. He was able to keep his name on the ballot, in election leaflets, on campaign posters. So voters could see his face, his name. Today Eric Biol, he is only the mayor of Grenoble, so he still has his disgrace here. He also holds his name, which was broken nationally by the ecological waves of the 2020 municipal elections. We have seen him with many new Green Mayors. But the primary campaign will tell you how important it is for him to become that national figure if he is to be a serious contender for the presidency.

So the presidential election is, in our political system, the highest struggle in France. For now, we are only in the primary stage. That is his role. It takes place in September. What political place does he have? It is said to be more serious, perhaps taking the “left hand” ecology better than the yanik jatot. What political space opens up for him?

Florent Cougou – Less than the political space, I see above all the clarity of the system of alliances it can provide. Like Yanik Jadot, I have the impression that he is procrastinating on how political ecology can be managed. Eric Biol is very clear about this, which is the formula he proposes in Grenoble. Political ecology, if it wants to rule with Eric Biol, it will rule on the left, but not with another coalition.

Jadot can connect himself even with centrists beyond the left-right divide. When Eric Biol is there, he is as clear on the left as he is here.

Florent Cougou – I can’t comment on what Yannick Jodot can do because he himself is not very clear about it. This is the clarity of Eric Biol in this view, which, in my view at present, is its strength.

Is it thick enough, is the skin thick enough? Eric Biol, because now it’s going to hit.

Florent Couquet – Can’t really answer that question. The presidential campaign is a unique thing that will last a long time, it is physically trying and you have to be willing to take the unexpected blows in it. But the same thing was said about Eric Biol before the 2014 municipal election in Grenoble, where he was armed enough to manage the city. But it is not the same size.

In Grenoble, he is proud to have built this humanitarian curve, from the left to the rebels of the Socialist Party, as we would say by moderate ecologists and radical ecologists. Could it be his plan? The next step is to beat the Green First and try to unite the Left, because if there are five candidates from the left, it will not work.

Florent Cougou – This is the only possible project. If he wants to qualify for the second round of the presidential election, so he has to be a reliable candidate to rule, that is what he wants, he wants to rule, he wants nothing else. So there is a way to have at least left-wing candidates to reach the second round of the presidential election.

Grenophilus in all of this? Are they going to feel abandoned or proud?

You ask them!

We have asked them and we have very different opinions. But really, can it shed some light on the city of Grenoble or not?

Florent Cougou – The key issue is knowing how Eric Biolin’s succession can be produced within the municipality of Grenoble. Because if he were to stand for president, he would no longer be able to carry out his duties as mayor of Grenoble.