Laure Lavalette wants to reconnect with the city's maritime identity
Before 1,500 people, the Var MP unveiled a team from civil society and a program focused on security.
C'est l'organisation a dû « pousser les murs » pour accueillir les sympathisants. Le 14 janvier, elle a lancé sa campagne pour les élections municipales de Toulon sous le slogan « Un avenir pour Toulon ». La candidate a livré un discours mêlant récit personnel, critique du bilan sortant et propositions concrètes, à soixante jours du scrutin. « Vous êtes le cœur battant de Toulon », a lancé Laure Lavalette, visiblement émue, en égrenant les quartiers de la ville, du Mourillon au Pont du Las. Celle qui rappelle être arrivée dans la rade il y a près de 30 ans « par amour » entend transformer l'essai des législatives en conquête municipale.
It was a show of strength orchestrated by Laure Lavalette in a packed Palais Neptune, where organizers had to 'push the walls' to accommodate supporters. On January 14, she launched her campaign for the municipal elections of Toulon under the slogan 'Un avenir pour Toulon'. The candidate delivered a speech mixing personal story, criticism of the outgoing record, and concrete proposals, sixty days before the vote.
'You are the beating heart of Toulon,' said Laure Lavalette, visibly moved, as she listed the city's neighborhoods, from Mourillon to Pont du Las. Recalling that she arrived in the harbor nearly 30 years ago 'for love,' she intends to turn her legislative success into a municipal victory.
SECURITY AS ABSOLUTE PRIORITY Unsurprisingly, security is the cornerstone of the program. Denouncing growing insecurity and the State's 'denial,' the MP made a major media splash by introducing her future deputy for security: Sébastien Soulé. A police officer for thirty years, former union leader, and the figure who inspired the movie 'Bac Nord,' he joined the list to 'make Toulon a safe city.'
The commitments are quantified with the recruitment of municipal police officers to reach a workforce of 200 agents (i.e., one per 1,000 inhabitants), the creation of a night brigade and a transport brigade, as well as the deployment of video protection. 'Insecurity is not inevitable but the consequence of a policy of abandonment,' the police officer hammered, promising close cooperation with the Police nationale.
In terms of urban planning and mobility, the candidate was highly critical of the legacy of Hubert Falco and the current majority, pointing out the fiasco of the tramway project and the limits of the current High-Level Service Bus (BHNS). 'How can anyone believe that a third lane on the A57 will be enough?' she asked.
To settle the thorny transport issue, Laure Lavalette is proposing an unprecedented method with the organization of a municipal referendum at the start of her term. Toulon residents will have to choose between a tramway, BHNS, metro, or metropolitan RER. In the meantime, she promises a 'five-year repair plan' for roads and sidewalks, as well as the development of cycle paths.
To make her approach credible and step outside the strictly partisan framework, the candidate highlighted the varied profile of her running mates. 'I did not want political figures, but experts,' she justified. OPEN LIST Notable rallies include David Gérard, former player of the Rugby Club Toulonnais (RCT), tipped as deputy for sports, or Robin Cloedt, former collaborator of the UDI group at the Assemblée nationale, in charge of social affairs.
The list also includes cultural and festive profiles such as Fabien Sorrentino, an event organizer, or Martine Favereau, a choir singer at the Opéra de Toulon, whose retention the candidate defended in the face of threats of layoffs. The presence of Frédéric Seillier, former boxing champion and ex-running mate of Hubert Falco, or Amaury Navarranne, regional councilor, illustrates the desire to unite the right and local civil society.
Ecology and living environment also occupy a part of the program with the promise of air conditioning in primary schools by summer 2027 and the depaving of schoolyards targeted for 2040. Laure Lavalette wishes to reconnect with the city's maritime identity by launching a 'grand center of the sea,' a tourism and cultural project including a visit to a decommissioned ship and an aquarium. Finally, calling for a 'respectful and joyful' campaign, she positioned herself as an alternative to an outgoing team she considers to be running out of steam.
Photos Philippe OLIVIER.