Manuel Valls face the "everything but Valls"

Manuel Valls has a free hand and takes from the primary to the left. But in his camp, he did not unanimous.

Evry, where it all begins and nothing ends. It sounds like an old tube for Manuel Valls. He launched his bet from the town hall of his fiefdom, where he married, where he won his first national mandates early 2000. A piece of France black-blanc-beur for an address by twenty minutes which closely resembles the ... Francois Hollande. An application under the double sign of "conciliation" and "reconciliation", announced to an audience of a hundred people picked. Among them his wife, violinist Anne Gravoin but his ex-wife and their three children. Certainly, the mood at the rally. Manuel Valls is determined to cut corners with the left he still believed there shortly, "irreconcilable". For him, it is now double or quits.Release, too. More question of domesticating his impatience. The Catalan can finally let his instinct getter.

Since the spectacular renunciation of the President, all eyes were on him."It shed its skin, observes François Chouat, mayor of Evry. He spends skin Prime Minister to that candidate. "This Saturday, December 3, he greeted the retired Union Home. Some signs already not wrong. Gisele, 80, who falls into his arms, departs: "I'm sick, I do not want to give you my germs.You need to keep fit ... "Kronenbourg on the table, nearly 200 people are waiting for Manuel Valls traditional sauerkraut quickly transformed into electoral warm up. The Prime Minister, in turtleneck sweater, playing at home. The campaign is, flush with each of his asides. "Watch Mélenchon, it is high in the polls," whispered in her ear a guest. "Pay attention to him and to many others," replies Valls tit for tat.

Manuel Valls and his wife, violinist Anne Gravoin at the Evry City Hall on the evening of Monday, December 5.© Baptiste Giroudon / Paris Match

Former Prime Minister knows his classics. Mitterrand to Jacques Chirac, through Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande, any presidential ambition is rooted in a piece of France. "Evry is my base. Always be strong in its base to look to the future. "Since only a few days, it no longer receives cold calls to administered because the boiler in the building is down or because the garbage has not been collected. His number, fifteen years old, changed the evening of renunciation of Francois Hollande. "Pure chance, he told Paris Match. A phone platform had a hand on it. I could no longer work. It sounded every two minutes. The whole earth had my number. And some of my contacts were dead ... "Another sign of preparation, the team Valls, formerly known as" the Firm ", as the British royal family, has closed as a cocoon: information supplied dropper, discretion absolute, in serried ranks around the leader.

Manuel Valls kisses his mother, Luisangela, after his speech in Evry, December 5, 2016.© Baptiste Giroudon / Paris Match

Since December 1, the blows rain. Arnaud Montebourg, his main opponent in the next primary, the president and prime minister, is white and half a dozen. But those close to the president, ulcerated, the trial in "betrayal" of "Brutus Valls" has already begun. Aware that he must protect the non-candidate of the balance sheet and reach out to the left at all, Prime Minister entrusts Paris Match: "The decision of François Hollande has changed everything. "A table, between bites of garlic sausage, he remembers a film that marked" The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, "with James Stewart. He has learned a lesson: "You do not kill a legend," he smiled. Since Thursday, December 1, Holland is an "icon". Tributes multiply PS, from top to bottom. Valls has to be considered. But the prime minister also reviewed recently "Stagecoach," John Ford, the story of a nine-equipped people with different temperaments, forced to cohabit in a diligence to cross Indian territory. "A film of incredible modernity" enthused Valls who feels the soul to reunite the tribes of the left on the way to 2017. Valls or the John Wayne of politics ...

The Prime Minister already let fly his arrows. On the sidelines of his visit to Evry Genopole on genetic diseases, it attacks the Fillon health project, accused of trying to promote better management of long illnesses over others. "Why try them against diseases? It's dangerous, "said he before boast, through the Telethon, the image of France" fraternal, generous and supportive. " The day before, traveling in Meurthe-et-Moselle, on the occasion of an interdepartmental committee of disability, he had made of the Republic "great national cause 2017". Just after the oath of Nancy."We must defend the record of Francois Hollande, his action, and I will," he proclaims distributing such good points, tributes to the ministers accompanying him, Marisol Touraine (Social Affairs) and Thierry Braillard (Sports). Meanwhile, he earned the first local rallies, including that of Mathieu Klein, president of the county council and close to Martine Aubry, who explains, "between the conservative revolution of François Fillon and the National Marine Le Pen revolution Valls now best placed. "

A moment doubly poignant for Anne Gravoin: this is the room where they married in 2010 that her husband will make his speech.© Baptiste Giroudon / Paris Maych

Gather the socialist family became his obsession. The task is complicated for those who, after the Socialist primary of 2011, was nicknamed "Mr. 5%". Certainly since moving up Beauvau and Matignon, the curves are inverted. And, according to the polls, he is now the favorite of the primary. However, behind the scenes of The Beautiful People's Alliance Saturday at La Villette in Paris, the mood was turning some skeet."There is no natural candidate," repeated some Dutch. "Manuel Valls just is not the balance point of the left", points Christophe Pierrel, former deputy chief of staff at the Elysee. Absent this weekend, Stéphane Le Foll, spokesman for the government and faithful among the faithful of the President, voluntarily withdrew its land for sarthoises ensures a close, "think about a possible bid." "You have to let everyone digest the president's announcement," procrastinate Senator Luc Carvounas. And what about Martine Aubry, Segolene Royal and Christiane Taubira? Valls therefore walking on eggshells, and his troops out airbags. The task is even more complicated than the primary looks short: a half months between December 15, the deadline for applications, and the first round.And yet ... interspersed with a fortnight's holiday. "It's a race against time," admits Jean-Marie Le Guen, Secretary of State for Development and Francophonie.

While on Sunday, Manuel Valls started by evade political pressure. He spent the day with his wife and children. To better momentum to its second primary. This time, the former advisor to Michel Rocard hand as the favorite. Not the easiest place when the French dégomment predictions of pollsters. His first lap, in 2011, allowed him to go into orbit.Before being beaten, he had approached Francois Hollande who had entrusted him while his communication. Able to adjust the tie knot as to lull journalists embedded in the "Holland turn," Valls soon became indispensable. "Manuel held the campaign on his shoulders. He lived four months morning, afternoon and evening with the candidate. Moscovici [the director] weighed nothing at all, "recalls one of the ministers. funny relationship between these two men. Neither friends nor enemies. Rather allies time to an agreement. Valls has struggled to professionalize the country of Holland. In return, he won the post of interior minister, long tipped to Dutch François Rebsamen.

The result recalls the trajectory of ... Nicolas Sarkozy between 2002 and 2004. Valls puts his new role in the service of his own ambition. The first cop of France is fast becoming the most popular minister in the government and managed without difficulty to overshadow Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. While taking care not to annoy the Elysee.Good student, he disarms even the critics of the Dutch. After the municipal Berezina, it will Matignon. His track record? Holland has summarized a formula: "Valls is there to make Valls! "Result: Catalan tightens the screws to ministers. The first false note, no feeling, this is the door. Arnaud Montebourg and Benoît Hamon take it to the end of summer 2014. Christiane Taubira will eventually follow. Valls starts to back the left wing of the PS. But not only. It does not support the goodwill enjoyed by Emmanuel Macron, the young Economy Minister, protected the president.This is the beginning of a war without thank you between apparatchik and technocrat banker philosopher allergic to parties, the clash of cultures between two men with conflicting characters but ideas (at least on the economy) so close .

The game is not over. Before rushing into the den of lions, the former prime minister will just neutralize the "everything but Valls" of his socialist opponents. It has fifty-three days to win the double or quits.