by Oli Usher
MARTINE AUBRY, the mayor of the northern city of Lille, has narrowly won the leadership of the French Socialists in a vote by party members. She defeated centrist Ségolène Royal, who was the party’s nominee in the 2007 presidential election, by 50.04 per cent to 49.96 per cent – a margin of just 102 votes. She will be the first woman to lead the Socialist Party.
The official result was held up for several days after allegations of irregularities from the Royal campaign. However a recount confirmed Ms Aubry’s lead, and she has now been officially recognised as the party’s leader, or first secretary, by a vote of the party executive. She promised in her acceptance speech to promote policies which are “anchored on the left”.
Ms Aubry paid tribute to her rival, and promised that her first act as leader would be to meet her. But tensions remain, and politicians close to Ms Royal – including the chairman of her campaign committee – have demanded that the election be held again.
Ms Aubry, the daughter of former European Commission president Jacques Delors, is considered to be to the left of the party. As employment minister in the 1997-2002 government, she was responsible for introducing the 35-hour working week. Ms Royal is a more moderate figure, who promoted co-operation with the centrist Democratic Movement.
However, the campaign was as much about style and tactics as it was about policies.
Ms Royal’s campaign, like her campaign in the presidential primary last year, was based on using the internet and rallies of supporters to mobilise party activists – with whom she is popular – against the party’s old guard who are suspicious of her.
Ms Aubry’s campaign was more sober, relying on endorsements from former rivals including Benoît Hamon (a leftist MEP who came third in the first round of voting earlier this month), and the mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë. She also had the tacit support of much of the party’s establishment.
While turmoil in the Socialist Party has delighted President Nicola Sarkozy’s centre-right UMP party, Ms Aubry warned her party’s opponents: “You can still laugh for a few days, but starting next week, the Socialist Party will be back.”
