On 26 August I announced my candidacy for the EELV Primary, which was open to people not belonging to the party. On 29 August the commission responsible for this primary informed me that my candidacy, based on rejection of nuclear weapons and nuclear power-plants, had not yet received the sponsorship of any of the EELV’s 240 federal councillors. I then invited the councillors to grant me at least one sponsorship, for the sake of “saving the honour of the ecologist party”. I don’t know whether this request was passed on to them by the commission, or whether it was heard. Nor do I know whether Michèle Rivasi, the fourth of the “big candidates”, has reached the threshold of 36 sponsors. But I would not like her to miss out on even one sponsor. For that reason I withdrew my candidacy on 31 August. If some councillors did support my candidacy or are tempted to do so, I invite them to transfer their sponsorship to Michèle Rivasi – who has asked nothing of me and has promised me nothing – so as to help build a slightly broader debate within EELV. I will continue to champion my views by other means.

Jean-Marie Matagne