Candidature of Coluche at the time of the French presidential election of 1981

This article treats candidature of Coluche at the time of the French presidential election of 1981 .

Circumstances

Following his reference of RMC after the many letters of protests sent by certain listeners, his friend Romain Goupil suggests to him presenting to the presidential election of 1981. In this manner, nobody will be able to censure it.

The declaration of candidature

During several months, with Romain Goupil and Jean-Michel Vaguelsy it prepares its program and makes convene the press the October 30th 1980 in the Théâtre of the Gymnasium. Faithful to him even, its declaration of candidature does not miss savor:

“I call the lazy ones, the crasseux ones, the drug addicts, the alcoholics, the fags, the women, the parasites, the young people, the old men, the artists, the convicts, the dykes, the apprentices, the Blacks, the pedestrians, the Arabs, the French, the hairy ones, the insane ones, the transvestites, the former Communists, the abstentionnists convinced, all those which do not hope for the politicians to be voted for me, to fit in their town halls and to hawk the news.

ALL TOGETHER FOR THEIR FOUTRE WITH THE BOTTOM WITH COLUCHE.

the only candidate who does not have any reason to lie you! ”

It also launches its slogan of countryside: “Until now France is cut into two, with me it will be folded into four! ”.

The countryside

It is thrown to it with heat, soon constant by Paul Lederman under the banner of derision and owner by the team of Hara-Kiri and Cavanna at the head. Coluche is for a long time a fellow traveller of the romantic picture stories and loopings of the “stupid and malicious” newspaper. He will be the “null candidate”, with for any program “of emmerder the line until the left”.

In the beginning, everyone believes in the hoax and the media move, but the December 14th, a survey published by the Sunday newspaper credits it with 16% of voting intentions. It is panic at the principal candidates. Coluche then reconsiders serious its candidature and decides to engage there truly. Several surveys place it almost in third position, with 10 to 12% of voting intentions.

Supports

Heteroclite rallyings support the Coluche candidate of Gerard Nicoud, leader Poujadiste, at the committee of intellectuals led by Felix Guattari, with among them Pierre Bourdieu, Gilles Deleuze.

Brice Lalonde declares that this Michel Colucci is perhaps “one of the best left-wing candidates”. Nouvel Obs devotes its one to the phenomenon Coluche (the same week of the advertisement of the candidature of François Mitterrand).

Censure

For Mitterrand, the candidate of the Socialist party, Coluche is seriously likely to take many voices to him which can ruin it the second turn. François Mitterrand sends then Gerard Colé and Jean Glavany to persuade Coluche to give up his candidature to join the Socialist party. He is wary and refuses the offer.

Valery Giscard d'Estaing has been for several years the target of Coluche. And to destabilize the current president, Coluche could arise the Affaire of diamonds revealed by Canard Enchaîné in 1979, which explains the fact that Coluche had called it at one period " The bijoutier". Not to take of risk, an instruction passes on the three television channels Frenchwoman and the network of Radio France (which are public and whose directors are named by the executive ): Coluche does not have established among. While to the Gymnasium, the public recalls it on the air of “Coluche chair”, the boycott of the media is organized.

But it persists and its popularity is not contradicted, of the methods more radical and illegal would then have been employed. The Minister of Interior Department of the time, Christian Bonnet would have given the order to the General informations within the group Dauvé of espionner and to seek done everything being able to discredit Coluche. Thus the Express train receives information which it publishes the December 27th 1980, where it is learned that Coluche was condemned to 3000 frankly S of fine for insults with member of the police force.

The things start with evil to turn: the newspaper Minute exhumes an official report reporting a larceny of Coluche at the 19 years age. Rene Gorlin, manager of Coluche, is found by the police force, is cut down of two balls in the nape of the neck. But it would seem that the police force takes care not to say that it is a crime passionnel, which lets Coluche suppose that this murder is related to its candidature.

It receives anonymous letters then (like COLUCHE: ATTENTION WITH DEATH! whose letters are cut out in a newspaper) and telephone calls threatening on the risks to be led in the motor bike… It receives a death threat of a group of extreme right-hand side Honneur of the Police force fustigating its role in Inspecteur the Bur .

The February 9th, Coluche informs the Anglo-Saxon press which it collected 632 promises of signatures of mayor (to present itself, it should collect 500 signatures, it will obtain from them actually 11).

The abandonment

The March 2nd, it faces the press, in the simple apparatus of a défroqué clown. Under the pressure, he announces the April 16th 1981 which he withdraws, without more explanation than I prefer that my candidature stops because it starts to inflate me. He then proclaims his intention to start an hunger strike until cease the censure which strikes it on television and with the radio (the Lent begins the shortly after the Fatty Tuesday).

He celebrates the victory of François Mitterrand, first socialist president of Ve République.

Partial source

Certains elements of the article results from the television report of M6 Coluche: a candidate to cut down emission Secret of topicality .

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