Teddy Riner's presidential candidacy: Guadeloupeans between disbelief and enthusiasm

Guadeloupeans welcomed with a mixture of disbelief, astonishment and enthusiasm the announcement by judoka Teddy Riner of his surprise candidacy for the 2027 presidential election. Sometimes it is necessary to detail the content of the video published Monday morning by the multi-medalist champion, or to show it. But the reaction of the Guadeloupeans interviewed by AFP, half-smiles on their faces, is almost unanimous: “Why not?”

In Abymes, near the police station where a member of the Nou Las Palé movement, mobilized for several weeks around various local issues, was placed in police custody, activist Nicoletta Gourdine rejoiced: “I am going to vote for him, Teddy Riner carries our voice.” “I have five boys. Two or three years ago, I did my monthly shopping with 200 euros. Now, the same amount allows me to do the shopping for the week and more,” she criticizes, recalling the exorbitant cost of living in the West Indian archipelago.

Next to her, Marie Petro, 69, heard the news. “I didn’t have a candidate, he will be mine!” she exclaims, praising “the values ​​of sport, the humility” of the judoka whose family lives in Vieux-Habitants, in the south of the island of Basse-Terre. She expects him not to be in favor of millionaires and to think of people in precarious situations almost everywhere in France. However, she fears that the judoka, although among the “favorite personality(s) of the French”, may be a victim of racism which, according to her, “is constantly increasing in mainland France”. Reactions are similar to the Saint-Antoine market in Pointe-à-Pitre, where passing tourists and locals come to buy spices, vegetables, vanilla pods and traditional rums.

“It’s magnificent”

“It surprises me, but it’s magnificent,” enthuses Philippe Baptiste, a seller. “He’s a strong guy, a worker” who “knows the problems here” and “can, perhaps, do something for Guadeloupe,” he believes. Because for him, there are “many things to change” and improve: the education system, health, access to employment in an archipelago which has almost 17% unemployment. “We must also fight against violence,” he continues while Guadeloupe has recorded 37 homicides since the start of the year. “In any case, it is a source of pride and it can inspire young people to get involved in politics,” he adds. “I didn't expect that,” admits Gustave, a few meters away, an 82-year-old retiree living on the island of Basse-Terre, where a town has built a statue in honor of the champion. “To do politics, you don’t necessarily have to leave the ENA, you have to be serious and close to the people.”

On the youth side, reactions are more mixed. On the one hand on social networks, there is criticism in particular of a barely visible investment in Guadeloupe, political positions deemed insufficient or even his performance as host of the French version of the reality TV show “Love Is Blind”. In front of the three Abymes high schools, many young people shrug their shoulders. “He underestimates what president means,” underlines, a little surprised, Maëlys, 17 years old, in final year.

“I saw the video on TikTok, quickly this morning, but I’m not really interested in all that,” confides Joachim (first name changed at his request), 15, who nevertheless intends to ask his mother, without knowing the rules of the ballot, to vote “for him in addition to Mélenchon”. Because Teddy Riner, despite his troubles with the tax authorities, which leave people indifferent locally, remains a local child, who “can do anything if he is well surrounded”, believes Jojo. This 52-year-old community technical agent, who does not want to give her name, watches the video that she discovers in the parking lot of a supermarket in Grand-Camp, in Les Abymes. “He speaks well, he says true things. Afterwards, he will probably take a beating, but he has a broad back, literally and figuratively,” she smiles.