Without his two meters height, it would probably be impossible to see him, as the crowd is so dense around him. For four hours this Saturday, Teddy Riner, fresh candidate for the 2027 presidential election, wandered around the Made in France trade show, in the southwest of Paris. Dressed in an elegant blue suit, the judo champion attracted crowds, while taking an interest in dozens of stands selling 100% French products.
Despite a faltering campaign just a few days after his candidacy, Teddy Riner is determined to reach out to French entrepreneurs. If visitors to the Made in France show gave the judoka a warm welcome, not everyone is completely won over by the candidate.
“Teddy president!” »
Some already imagine it at the Élysée. “Teddy president!” », we can hear here and there, when others have fun saying that they have encountered the future head of state. It is without complaint that the Olympic champion lends himself to the exercise. With a Colgate smile on his lips, he punctuates his discussions with photo sessions and even grants a few autographs, sometimes on a piece of torn paper bag. “I’m going to vote for you,” says a visitor who managed to slip up to him. Visibly touched, Teddy Riner kisses her and thanks her.
At each stand that the judoka visits - and there are a lot of them - there is excitement. Tastings are interrupted, products fall from the shelves and certain aisles are completely blocked. After an exchange with the champion, the president of France Horlogerie, Pierre Burgun catches his breath. He works in particular with the Pierre Lannier brand, which offers a collection of “Élysée” watches. Models that he was quick to present to Teddy Riner. “We were in London with my family for the 2012 Olympics,” he says, all smiles. And from a political point of view? The businessman does not dare to express himself too much. “It changes the political prism,” he believes, after meeting Marine Le Pen the day before.
“I will not vote for him”
But at the show, not everyone is so reserved about their opinion on this surprise candidacy. Some analysts see the hand of Emmanuel Macron in this and this did not escape the visitors present this Saturday. “I won’t vote for him because he’s on the right,” says a visitor as she passes by Teddy Riner and his procession. This thirty-year-old believes that “him or Macron, it doesn’t change anything. We have already suffered ten years; we would have to be crazy to do it again.” The main person concerned, however, denies any link with the president. “I am not a Macronist. Nobody plays puppets with me,” he insisted, calling Emmanuel Macron’s congratulations a “deadly kiss.”
And this is not the only point that raises eyebrows among potential voters. “Tax fraud!” », exclaims a man as Teddy Riner passes. “I wonder how he financed his campaign,” he quips before disappearing. It is indeed difficult to ignore his problems with the tax administration, which have come to the fore all the more in recent hours.
Without forgetting, in a completely different register, that Teddy Riner's campaign team has already lost its most credible faces, starting with François Braun. The former Minister of Health, who participated in developing his candidacy “blindly” without knowing who he worked for, announced Friday that he was temporarily stepping aside, according to Libération, barely 24 hours after meeting the Olympic champion for the first time. His communicator Aline Poulain Guerza also ended up letting go after working this summer to prepare his campaign. Defections which will not be addressed by the candidate during his stroll.
An expected program
Following Teddy Riner on his trail through the aisles of the show, Philippe is far from these considerations. “His gold medals, his commitment, his work show the quality of his personality,” he says. This fifty-year-old came especially for Teddy Riner’s visit and took the opportunity to observe him for several hours, “to see how he behaves with people”. He also says he is tempted by the candidacy of Natacha Polony and that of Raphaël Glucksmann, but admits to being pleasantly surprised by Teddy Riner. “If his program is compatible with what I think, I could vote for him,” he concludes.
Whether they are more or less tempted by Riner's candidacy, it is the word that comes back on the lips of all voters: program. Everyone wants to know what this candidate who is both “hyper charismatic” and “who knows nothing about politics” is proposing. But when we ask him about it, “he hits the mark,” notes a visitor. She seems more interested in the judoka than in the candidate. “I would like to know what it means for him to introduce himself,” she wonders.
Even after the press conference given by the five-time champion, the suspense remains. He assures that he will announce his project in the coming weeks. “I don’t think I’m the person who knows everything. But I will surround myself with specialists, listen, go everywhere because it is important to make contact,” he declared at a press conference. And added: “I, who am not from the inner circle, need to exchange with the different sectors to propose and even improve the programs. »
