Bastir!

"Bastir!" (to Build), originally the "Manifeste Occitaniste" (the Occitanist Manifesto), now "Bastir Occitanie", is a pan-Occitanist movement mainly involved in French municipal elections of 2014, in French departmental elections of 2015 and in French legislative elections of 2017.

Flag of Occitania (The cross of Toulouse)

The Occitanist Manifesto

In 2011, David Grosclaude,[1][2] then elected Advisor of Aquitaine Regional Council, with some other members of the Occitan Party (POC), approached other activists in the Occitanist movement to develop a common project on the basis of shared values. Several preliminary meetings (Marmande, Pau, Villeneuve-sur-Lot) resulted in a programmatic outline: the "Manifeste Occitaniste",[3] co-written in part with members of the Occitan Nation Party (PNO) and some actors from the Occitans cultural circle.

The meeting of 10 December 2011 in Barbaste summarized the previous assemblies and endorsed the idea of the "Manifeste Occitaniste".[4][5][6][7] The manifesto was completed in 2012 and disseminated. Individual membership to its principles and approach require a personal online signature.

Occitanie (administrative region) – In May 2016, "Bastir Occitània" activists were mobilized in favor of the name "Occitanie" for the French administrative region born of the merger between "Languedoc-Roussillon" (Montpellier) with "Midi-Pyrenees" (Toulouse).
Bastir! in Toulouse during the campaign for the name of the French administrative region "Occitanie"

The "Manifeste Occitaniste" at the beginning of 2013 was defined at that time as setting forth the basic elements of a political force in Occitania, without being a party, with an eye to the French municipal elections of 2014. Essentially, the "programmatic basis" of the "Manifeste Occitaniste" talked about conservancy and socialization of the Occitan language, regionalism, decentralization and direct democracy, environmental protection, and rejection of the fascism.

Originally subtitled "Bastir la ciutat" ("build the city," figuratively in view of municipal elections), in 2013, the Occitanist Manifesto is simply renamed "Bastir" and stylized in "Bastir!".

A steering committee[8] was established to specify and authorize nominations for the French municipal elections candidates of 2014. The steering committee had the especially difficult role of arbitrating disputed cases, particularly the incorrect requests for authorization of "Bastir!" candidates. Besides some applications from candidates identified as close to fascism, the steering committee had to exclude nomination applicants in cases where candidates were found on opposing lists.[8][9]

The Steering Committee officially designated 116 "Bastir!" candidates for the French municipal elections of 2014, generally isolated candidates in various party ballots.[10][11][12][13] The result of this was that in 2014, the candidates standing for "Bastir!" in 51 ballots were "authorized". This was the case for 44 candidates of the French Socialist Party,[14][15] for 21 "ecologist" candidates (Europe Ecology – The Greens), for 11 "centrist" candidates, for 9 of the "Left Front", for one of the "Union for a Popular Movement" (Gaullist conservative and liberal party), and for one in a "various" ballot (liberal and conservative).

Although the majority of "Bastir!" candidates are isolated or small groups within conventional lists, there was the case of L'Isle-Jourdain (Toulouse Gascony[16]) where a full ballot list for "Bastir!" was composed of certified candidates. This list,[17][18] headed by Jean-Luc Davezac,[19][20][21] had 20 certified occitanists candidates "Bastir!" of 29 members in total.

The French municipal elections of 2014

The French municipal elections of 2014 result in the election of 55 candidates standing for "Bastir!". In Toulouse Gascony, the list "Alternative L'Isle-Jourdain" had to share 12.43% of votes cast in the first round with the list "L'Isle du Futur" (conservatives and liberals, 39.52%) and the outgoing municipal majority (socialists, 48.04%).

By merging into a temporary alliance for the second round with the conservative list "L'Isle du Futur", the list "Alternative L'Isle-Jourdain" elected only one woman who stood for "Bastir!". The socialist list of the outgoing municipal majority got the victory in the second round (53.68% of votes).[22]

In the nearby town of Saint-Lys, "Bastir!" got two opposition members elected in the list "L'Alternative pour Saint-Lys"[23][24] (including a former mayor of this little town, Patrick Lasseube[25]) list that she be close to victory only a few votes (35 votes difference: 49 51% of the votes against 50.48% for the socialist list of the outgoing municipal majority).[26]

Some "Bastir!" candidates were elected in major cities of Occitania as well: in Auch (Henri Chavarrot,[27][28] Benedicte Mello, Nadia Baitiche, Rui Oliveira-Santos),[29] Orange (Anne-Marie Hautant,[30][31][32]) Montauban (Gael Tabarly[33][34]), in Pau, Muret,[35][36][37][38] Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Carmaux, Graulhet.

Original logo Bastir!

The French departmental elections of 2015

For departmental elections of 2015, the steering committee officially authorized only twenty Bastir! candidates, including the duo Marie-Christine Huby & Jean-Luc Davezac in the canton of L'Isle-Jourdain (group "Libres et Indépendents – Gers", founded during this election campaign), the centrist Patrick Lasseube[39] (Democratic Movement) in the canton of Plaisance du Touch. In other areas, candidates engaged on ecologist lists (Europe Ecology – The Greens)[40] or on the Occitan Party. There was no candidate elected "Bastir!" from these departmental elections. The failure of departmental elections has probably impacted negatively on the strength of "Bastir!" which did not want to invest in the regional elections of 2015, confining itself since the late departmental elections to modest local and spontaneous actions at the initiative of small groups or even individual members still claiming of this movement[41][42][43][44][45]

The October 2016 Constituent Assembly of Bastir Occitania

The campaign of April to September 2016 by activists of "Bastir!" in Toulouse, east Gascony and south Quercy (French departments of Gers, Haute-Garonne and Tarn-et-Garonne)[46][47] is a success: the historical denomination "Occitanie" wins the citizens consultation organized by the new Regional Council[48][49] to find a name for the new region born from the merger of "Midi-Pyrenees" with the "Languedoc-Roussillon".

The weekend of October 14–16, 2016, during the Constituent Assembly of L'Isle-Jourdain (Toulouse Gascony),[50][51] and following this recognition of the Occitan identity by the French government which agrees to call "Occitanie" one of an administrative regions of the Republic (September 29, 2016),[52] the movement decides unanimously to change "Bastir!" in "Bastir Occitanie" (To Build Occitania).[53]

Logo Bastir Occitanie since 2016

The French presidential and legislative elections of 2017

For the French presidential election of 2017, Jean-Luc Davezac[54][55][56] and several members of "Bastir Occitania" collaborated in the movement "En Marche!" in favor of Emmanuel Macron.[57][58][59][60]

At the time of the legislative elections, the commission of investiture of the movement of Emmanuel Macron "En Marche!" in Paris unilaterally designates its own candidates in Occitania constituencies without taking into consideration the remarks of the local Occitan adherents: the contemptuous and strategic choice of Paris is considered particularly scandalous in Occitania in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne and in the second constituency of the Gers.[61] "Bastir Occitania" then decides to supporting in the second constituency of Tarn-et-Garonne the presidential majority (but dissident) candidacy of Thierry Hamelin whose substitute is both close to "Bastir" and adherent to "En Marche!", and in vying with a legitimate "En Marche !" candidate on the 8th district of Haute-Garonne, the Occitanist candidacy of Jérôme Piques (Occitan Nation Party) in that constituency. In the second round, "Bastir Occitania" militates to block the candidates "En Marche!" in the first constituency of Tarn-et-Garonne and the second constituency of Gers: the two candidates of the movement of Emmanuel Macron are beaten by the candidates of the Socialist Party, outgoing deputies Valérie Rabault and Gisèle Biémouret. On the 8th constituency of Haute-Garonne, the Bastir Occitania candidates Jérôme Piques and Dominique Darrozes does not give a voting instruction for the second round:[62] the candidate "En Marche" is beaten too in this constituency by the candidate of the Socialist Party Joël Aviragnet. Voters in the 8th constituency of Haute-Garonne must vote again following the cancellation of the election of Joel Aviragnet. This time, "Bastir Occitanie" supports him in the first and second rounds of the by-election are scheduled for 11 and 18 March 2018.[63][64]

Occitanist candidatures in Occitania during the 2017 French parliamentary elections (Bastir Occitanie and related parties: Occitan Party, Occitan Nation Party, País Nòstre...)

As for those of Bastir Occitania who still remained loyal to President Macron, they now form a rather dissident left-wing and regionalist Occitan macronist group,[65] opposed to the conservative and French centralist pro-Parisian trend of the official Emmanuel Macron movement "LaREM".

But in January 2019, Bastir breaks with macronism following the Blanquer reform project of the national education which has a negative impact on the teaching of the Occitan language.

The November 10, 2018 Assembly in Toulouse of Bastir

The members of "Bastir" gathered in Toulouse on November 10, 2018 to go back to the municipal elections and perpetuate the presence of the movement in the municipalities. "Bastir" then announces an approach similar to 2014, an opening to all lists compatible with the Bastir charter (except the extreme right).[66][67][68]

And while waiting for the municipal elections, "Bastir" supports the list of ecologists led by Yannick Jadot in the European elections of May 26, 2019. Finally, the labeling of candidates for these 2020 municipal elections will be finalized by Occitanie País Nòstre.

References
  1. Gael BRIAND. "Victoire pour David Grosclaude et pour l'occitan !".
  2. "Un élu régional pour la promotion de l'occitan en grève de la faim". Club de Mediapart.
  3. La Dépêche du Midi, Montauban – Partit Occitan : Un XIIe congrès avant la bataille des municipales
  4. "Un manifest per a posar la consciència occitana en les properes eleccions municipals". Nationalia.
  5. http://partitoccitan.org/archivas/IMG/pdf/manifeste_oc_def.pdf
  6. "Les animateurs du Manifeste Occitaniste ont pris langue lors d'une réunion à Agen". ladepeche.fr.
  7. "Un Manifesto occitanistaRaccolta sottoscrizioni, confronti e dibattiti in Occitania Grande".
  8. La Dépêche du Midi. "Auch. La mise au point du comité de pilotage de Bastir !". ladepeche.fr.
  9. La Dépêche du Midi. "Auch. Les occitanistes en campagne". ladepeche.fr.
  10. https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2013/10/27/1739962-les-occitanistes-entendent-peser-sur-les-municipales.html
  11. http://france3-regions.blog.francetvinfo.fr/le-blog-de-viure-al-pais-france3/2014/01/14/bastir-change-de-construction.html
  12. La Dépêche du Midi. ""Bastir !" soutient la liste "Faire vivre Monfort"". ladepeche.fr.
  13. La Dépêche du Midi. "Bastir soutient Py à Leucate". ladepeche.fr.
  14. L'EXPRESS. Pau : David Habib (PS) présente une liste largement renouvelée
  15. Municipales à Toulouse : Bastir dit "basta" aux Verts
  16. http://www.midi-pyrenees.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/3-Atlas_du_Gers_Saves_cle622f81.pdf
  17. "L'Isla de Baish: son nombroses d'aver aderit a Bastir". Jornalet.
  18. "Fontenilles. Les occitans s'invitent dans la campagne". ladepeche.fr.
  19. "L'Isle-Jourdain. C'était la première réunion de "Bastir"". ladepeche.fr.
  20. "L'Isle-Jourdain. Corinne Lepage soutient la liste "Alternative Isle-Jourdain"". ladepeche.fr.
  21. La Dépêche du Midi. "L'Isle-Jourdain. Municipales : Jean-Luc Davezac explique sa position". ladepeche.fr.
  22. "L'Isle-Jourdain reste à gauche avec Francis Idrac". ladepeche.fr.
  23. "Patrick Lasseube". Archived from the original on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
  24. "Sortir Saint-Lys du statut de ville-dortoir". ladepeche.fr.
  25. "Saint-Lys. Catherine Renaux et Patrick Lasseube sur une même liste". ladepeche.fr.
  26. "Eleccions municipalas: suspresa en Gasconha Tolosana". Jornalet.
  27. "Auch. Bastir ! place l'occitan au cœur des débats". ladepeche.fr.
  28. "Auch. "Bastir" soutient la liste Montaugé". ladepeche.fr.
  29. "Auch. Hier, Franck Montaugé a déposé sa liste". ladepeche.fr.
  30. Eric Miguet (30 September 2013). "Conseil municipal à Orange : Bompard appelle la police pour expulser une élue". metronews. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  31. "VIDEOS. Orange: Bompard appelle des policiers pour "dégager" une opposante". LExpress.fr.
  32. "VIDÉO. Orange: le maire Jacques Bompard appelle des policiers pour faire taire une opposante au conseil municipal". Le Huffington Post. 28 September 2013.
  33. "Montauban. Les couleurs de l'Occitanie incarnées par Gaël Tabarly". ladepeche.fr.
  34. "La maire dépose plainte contre un élu d'opposition". ladepeche.fr.
  35. "Muret. Liste "Murèth, le vrai changement, c'est maintenant"". ladepeche.fr.
  36. "Muret. Vers une liste écolo-occitaniste". ladepeche.fr.
  37. "Muret. Christian Valade a présenté sa liste". ladepeche.fr.
  38. "Muret. Bastir en accord avec A. Mandement". ladepeche.fr.
  39. "Les candidats d'"Ensemble pour la Haute-Garonne"". ladepeche.fr.
  40. "Des candidats occitanistes". ladepeche.fr.
  41. "Les militants de Bastir pour l'Occitanie".
  42. "Le collectif Bastir fait campagne pour le nouveau nom de la région".
  43. "Nom de la région : pour "Bastir!", c'est l'Occitanie qui prime". Archived from the original on 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2016-06-11.
  44. "Bastir à Auch : OCCITANIE ! L'Accueil des Auscitains a été particulièrement enthousiaste".
  45. "Pour que le nom de notre nouvelle région soit : Occitanie".
  46. http://lejournaldugers.fr/article/12747-bastir-present-sur-trois-departements
  47. http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2016/06/04/2358710-sur-le-marche-bastir-defend-l-occitanie.html
  48. http://www.leparisien.fr/montpellier-34000/consultation-sur-le-nom-de-la-region-languedoc-roussillon-midi-pyrenees-occitanie-en-tete-16-06-2016-5891139.php
  49. http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2016/06/24/la-nouvelle-region-languedoc-roussillon-midi-pyrenees-rebaptisee-occitanie_4957440_823448.html
  50. http://www.lepetitjournal.net/Aveyron/011016-642639-BASTIR-OCCITANIE.html
  51. http://lejournaldugers.fr/article/15698-assemblee-constitutive-de-bastir-occitanie
  52. http://objectif-languedoc-roussillon.latribune.fr/politique/2016-09-29/grande-region-le-nom-occitanie-valide.html
  53. http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2016/10/27/2447448-bastir-occitanie-est-ne.html
  54. Bastir Occitanie sur le terrain pour En Marche
  55. Jean-Luc Davezac prétend vouloir jouer la partition Macron
  56. Législatives: Le PS à quitte ou double dans le Gers
  57. Bastir Occitanie avec Emmanuel Macron !
  58. http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2016/11/27/2466692-bastir-soutient-macron.html
  59. http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2017/04/21/2560398-en-marche-en-campagne-sur-le-marche.html
  60. https://blogs.mediapart.fr/edition/les-langues-bien-commun-de-l-humanite/article/190417/les-langues-regionales-dans-la-presidentielle-2017-le-moment-d
  61. LE FIGARO : Dans les rangs macronistes, des "marcheurs en colère" réclament plus de démocratie
  62. LÉGISLATIVES. BASTIR OCCITANIE NE DONNE AUCUNE CONSIGNE DE VOTE
  63. https://www.toulouse7.com/2018/02/26/legislatives-partielles-bastir-occitanie-soutient-joel-aviragnet-3/
  64. http://www.occitanie-tribune.com/articles/6681/haute-garonne-legislative-8eme-circ-bastir-occitanie-appelle-a-voter-pour-joel-aviragnet/
  65. https://www.midilibre.fr/2018/07/08/bagnols-christian-roux-macron-de-lespoir-a-la-deception,4649136.php
  66. "Toulouse. Elections Municipales : le mouvement BASTIR s'engage sur le territoire - La Charte Bastir". occitanie-tribune.com.
  67. "Hautes-Pyrénées - BASTIR en Occitanie". lepetitjournal.net.
  68. "Occitanist candidates launch preparations for 2020 electoral race". nationalia.info.
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