Manuel Valls, the flour and the hard back to the ground – Europe1

EDITORIAL POLICY

This will remain as one of the strong images of the primary to the left, and perhaps even the presidential election. Manuel Valls, enfariné by a man with the cry of, “49.3, we do not forget”, as he was Thursday on a trip to Strasbourg. The Prime minister immediately made against bad fortune good heart, saying that “these are the joys of the countryside, there is no problem. Flour gluten-free this is a good omen”. Manuel Valls has thought of the image of François Hollande, enfariné also in February 2012, by a woman, in full speech. He had remained perfectly impassive, and the incident did not prevent him from being elected.

Back to the real world. But in reality, the enfarinage of the former Prime minister is synonymous with hard return to the real. At Matignon, he was protected. Physically, of course, by dozens of policemen in civilian, streets, secure and gendarmes on every trip. But also in a more symbolic manner. The thick walls and wood-paneled Hotel Matignon, such as those of the Elysee or of the Assembly, greatly reduce the intensity of the protests. The anger of the people means very far away. The reassuring presence of the consultants caring is a shield that we forget about but which ends up cut off from the world.

The return to the field is therefore all the more brutal for Manuel Valls. Passers-by to put a question directly to Paris, on a market. A long-time advocate accuses him of having divided the majority during a meeting. And finally, he receives a sack of flour.

Valls against the time. although the former Prime minister wants to see it as a happy omen, the situation is quite different from that experienced by François Hollande in 2012. At the time, it was enfariné by a woman unbalanced a bit paranoid, which was referred to as a symbol of the powerful. The man who took on Manuel Valls, on the other hand, wanted him to return to face the now-famous article 49.3, the ex-Prime minister used it on two texts (the law Macron and the law El Khomri) while he was head of government.

above all, Manuel Valls is assaulted on a daily basis in her travels. Why ? Because it is against the time with the French. He holds out a hand, walks towards them in peace, as a candidate, when the citizens, them, him, return the beatings that they intend to be a Prime minister for a long time been cut off from reality. It is this gap that Manuel Valls is trying to reduce during his campaign. It does not remain to him more than a month to get there.