Marseille municipal elections: the South Winners enter the arena and call to "block" the National Rally

In Marseille, the campaign has found an unexpected but vocal supporter. The South Winners, the main supporters' group of Olympique de Marseille, have called for a "block" against the National Rally in the second round of municipal elections on Sunday.

The message, published in a press release Wednesday evening and relayed Thursday, March 19, does not mention any names but clearly targets the momentum of the National Rally (RN) in the city, after a first round in which candidate Franck Allisio garnered 35,02% of the vote. When the stadium speaks, it's rarely to whisper.

In the stands, politics does not ask for permission

In the stands, politics doesn't ask permission. The group advocates a simple line: "tolerance and the project of living together" in the face of "hatred and segregation," they write, asserting that "the far right is on the verge of power in our city." The South Winners even use their own rhetoric to strike home: "We who boasted of not having fascists in our stadium... shame on us." A phrase that hits like a banner unfurled too late, and which also speaks to the unease of a segment of the Marseille public, caught between popular identity, local pride, and the fear of seeing the city fall into disrepair.

The electoral field remains, with its figures and ballots. On Sunday, three candidates will be in the running: the incumbent left-leaning mayor, Benoît Payan, who came in first with 36,70%, Franck Allisio for the National Rally, and the right-leaning candidate, Martine Vassal, who is still in the race despite her 12,41% in the first round. The intrusion of supporters into the debate doesn't create a coalition, but it changes the atmosphere, and it might also shift some votes in a city where abstention is a significant factor. Four days before the election, Marseille is preparing to make its decision, and one can already sense that the result will leave its mark, both in the council chamber and in the stands.