Valérie Hayer and Raphaël Glucksmann are competing for second place in the European polls. But the Macronist candidate refuses any face to face with her opponent.
For several weeks, Valérie Hayer has seen Raphaël Glucksmann’s list come back on hers in the polls for the European elections: Elabe’s latest barometer for BFMTV and La Tribune Dimanche, published on May 18, credits the candidate of the Socialist Party and Place public vote of 13%, 2.5 points behind the head of the Macronist list (15.5%). Far behind Jordan Bardella (32%), the two MEPs seem destined to compete for second place in this election. However, for Valérie Hayer, there is no question of playing this match: the candidate refused all one-on-one debates with Glucksmann.
As is the custom in Macronie, only one adversary is recognized: the National Rally. Valérie Hayer indeed debated with Jordan Bardella on May 2. This Thursday, it is Prime Minister Gabriel Attal himself who will confront the head of the National Rally. The entourage of the President of the Republic even spread the rumor of a Macron-Le Pen debate. All efforts are thus mobilized to make Valérie Hayer’s other competitors forget… until the one who directly threatens her second place on June 9.
Valérie Hayer has also found a ready-made excuse to serve to those who ask her why she refuses a direct confrontation with the head of the PS list: “Raphaël Glucksmann, today, and the entire left, as we see, is in a race for 2027”, she said on Sunday on France 3. According to her, the objective of the left-wing lists in the European elections “is to know who will be first in these elections to know which party will be candidate for the presidential election”.
“I don’t want to take part in the left-wing primary,” says Valérie Hayer, before inviting Raphaël Glucksmann to go “debate with Manon Aubry”. A way for her to oust all the left-wing lists from this election, by attributing to them intentions that are completely other than European. Will she thus convince the left wing of the Macronist electorate to stay in her camp? Risky bet.