The FDSEA team was pleased with the results, even though the union lost three seats. Midi Libre – JEAN MICHEL MART
With more voters in the elections for the Hérault Chamber of Agriculture, the FDSEA won, but the Rural Coordination will have three seats, while the Peasant Confederation will have two.
“This result obliges us.” Like President Macron speaking on a less than victorious second round evening, the outgoing president of the Hérault Chamber of Agriculture, Jérôme Despey, had a modest victory this Thursday evening in Vendargues, where the counting of the consular elections was taking place. The FDSEA union has retained its majority, but the head of the FDSEA list, and number two of the powerful union at the national level, will have to deal with an opposition that will take up a little more space.
Exit Modef
Of the 18 positions in the main college, that of active farmers, the FDSEA only has 13 seats instead of 16, the Rural Coordination gets 3, instead of 1 and the Peasant Confederation gets 2 instead of 1. Only the Modef remains at the door, having obtained only 3% of the votes when 10% are necessary to sit.
Participation on the rise
Participation for this election increased by 4% compared to the last elections six years ago. 42% of the almost 6,000 Hérault farmers voted, compared to only 38% in 2019. In terms of votes, the FDSEA won 1,224 people, the Rural Coordination 756, the Peasant Confederation 431 and the Modef 72. A simple addition of the votes would therefore put the opposition in the lead by 25 votes…
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“The increase in participation is good news, it had been falling for twelve years,” declares Jérôme Despey. “I thank the farmers who put us first and who trust us. We also hear democracy and the votes cast that show other expectations. Our team has several objectives, first of all to be alongside farmers in the face of the crisis, inflation, and climatic hazards. We must consolidate the Hérault farm, support the sectors and economic activity to be able to live off the price of our products, but also ensure the transfer of farms. And work even more on global warming.”
“We will have to hear each other out”
Probably not enough to convince Morgane Bara, from the Confédération Paysanne, who deplores a voting system that serves the first come, first served : “If there was a real proportional representation and not this electoral system, the FDSEA would be less powerful”, analyses the second on the Conf' list (and therefore elected with Paul Reder). “Our colleague who was the only elected member during the previous term was tired of being a wallflower, the motions she proposed were not even on the agenda of the assembly. This kind of contempt will no longer be possible, if we have points to debate, we will have to hear each other.”
500 fewer farmers than in 2019
Same story from Christophe Sabatier, from the Rural Coordination. “We're going to be a real opposition. The three of us will sit and recall our fight to stop importing an agriculture that we don't want. Since the last elections, we've lost 500 farmers in the department according to MSA figures. One every 4 days! What do we do ?”
Exchange between Christophe Sabatier (CR34) and the outgoing president of the Chamber Jérôme Despey (FDSEA). Midi Libre – JEAN MICHEL MART
The Rural Coordination meets Monday to decide whether the first three on the list will sit, or whether a withdrawal would leave room for the fourth, Christophe Sabatier himself. “Being in the opposition is not the dream, but we intend to weigh in.”
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