Will the left manage to unite in Pau for the March 2026 municipal elections? With just under four months to go, nothing is certain, as the various left-wing parties are unable to agree on a common candidate. Jérôme Marbot of the Socialist Party, Jean-François Maison of Place Publique, and Jean-François Blanco of Europe Ecology – The Greens are all considering running. The candidates from Place Publique and EELV are proposing a left-wing primary in early December to break the deadlock. They announced it at a press conference this Saturday, November 8th, in Pau.
A primary without Jérôme Marbot?
Even though this primary aims to unite the left, for the moment, unity seems far off. The Socialist Jérôme Marbot is refusing, for the time being, to participate. The Green Party candidate, Jean-François Blanco, nevertheless wants to remain hopeful: “We are appealing to him today to register for this primary, so that he can allow the left-leaning residents of Pau to choose the person who will lead the unified list.”
Les Écologistes – Europe Ecologie Les Verts
“I refuse to believe that he would refuse the democratic process,” concluded the Green Party candidate. The same sentiment was echoed by Jean-François Maison, the candidate for Place Publique: “The purpose of this press conference is to spark a kind of unity so we can face the upcoming battle together. I believe that left-wing political leaders, regardless of their political leanings, have a duty to come together to offer an alternative.”
The vote is scheduled for Sunday, December 7.
Both candidates also emphasized that this primary is open to anyone who wishes to participate. Applications are open until November 25, and anyone can participate as long as they agree to sign the left-wing charter. Simply send your application to the following address: primairepau2026@gmail.com. After the applications are submitted, the various candidates will debate on Tuesday, December 2. The vote will take place on Sunday, December 7, in several schools in Pau.
Cyrielle Chatelain, Marine Tondelier, Yannick Jadot, and Melanie Vogel
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All Pau residents of legal age who are registered to vote in the city will be able to participate upon presentation of their voter registration card. For the moment, only Jean-François Maison and Jean-François Blanco have announced their candidacy for this left-wing primary. Jérôme Marbot has not yet commented. The Socialist candidate was officially nominated by the Socialist Party on April 3rd.
