The member of the Pyrénées-Atlantic and presidential candidate was particularly acclaimed in this valley of his riding. It appreciates its constant and sincere defense of the rural world.
m The magazine of the world
By miren garaicochea
“None of the other candidates speaks like him from the earth. He knows her, he comes from it.” Martin Suquilbide, 62, breeder at 200 dairy sheep, is mayor of one of the three villages of the Verdante Valley Aldudes, west of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. In these low altitude mountains where nearly 1,000 inhabitants live, Jean Lassalle, 3.13% of votes at the national level, more than double 2017 (1.21%), has far been the most acclaimed in the first Tour of the presidential election, Sunday, April 10th.
Member of the district, the candidate does not come from the Basque Country, but from the neighboring Béarn, “country” distinct, with whom the rivalry is long. Many have been convinced by his tireless mountain VRP work, defending the economy of rurality and the fight for the opening of the campaigns.
As the D948 sinks inside the French Basque Country, the score of the deputy of the constituency climbs. In about ten kilometers, it goes from 35.7% to Banca, upstream of the valley, to 40.3% in the Aldudes, to reach 41.8%, finally, in Urepel. Further, south, west or east, it is Spain.
Candidate “Simple and affordable”
In the valley of the Aldudes, to the white houses punctuated with red or green half-timbered, colors of the Basque flag, the bell of the church resorts every half hours, day and night. Mass is called Euskara, the Basque language. Schools are bilingual French-Basque. The national sport is neither football nor even rugby, but the Basque ball. Seven lands are dedicated to him.
In May, 200 cows will be marked at Urepel before grazing Spanish Navarre. Every year, until the arrival of Covid-19, Jean Lassalle came to attend the event, Relates Martin Suquilbide. The mayor without a label of the Aldudes feels listened to by this candidate “simple and affordable”. “Radios and Télévisions have denigrated it, perhaps because it comes from a rural area? But it is entitled to respect”, is it. ”
Between the price of meat down and that of the foods for animals “which explodes”, “the pressure is huge” for farmers, deplores the mayor. The price of fuel is cheaper at the Spanish border, ten minutes, Martin Suquilbide refuses to go full. “We stayed twenty years without fuel or grocery. So I prefer to pay more and keep the fuel station nearby.”
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