- Title: Rookie French lawmaker reaches out from fortune-teller's van
- Date: 3rd July 2017
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (RECENT - JUNE 18, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF FRENCH PARLIAMENT BUILDING SIGN READING (French): "NATIONAL ASSEMBLY" PARIS, FRANCE (RECENT - JUNE 21, 2017) (REUTERS) NEWLY-ELECTED "THE REPUBLIC ON THE MOVE" MP (LREM), GUILLAUME KASBARIAN, WALKING UP TO DOOR OF OFFICE BUILDING FOR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY FIRM, PMP, WHICH HE RESIGNED FROM TO CONCENTRATE ON POLITICS KASBARIAN WALKING UPSTAIRS / ENTERING OFFICE TO CHEERS AND APPLAUSE FROM COLLEAGUES KASBARIAN GREETING COLLEAGUES KASBARIAN SPEAKING IN A LEAVING PARTY, AFTER HE WON IN LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS COLLEAGUES CLAPPING SIGN FOR CONSULTANCY FIRM READING (English): "PMP BEYOND CONSULTING" (SOUNDBITE) (French) LREM MP, GUILLAUME KASBARIAN, SAYING: "It happened on the 6th of April 2016, the first day of the creation of "En Marche!" (former name of French president Emmanuel Macron's political party). I am one of the first 500 followers, and I had followed in the media what Emmanuel Macron was doing, and on the day he created the movement, I said to myself, I must go for it, I must join him, I should commit to it and start campaigning. It was the first time that I had the feeling that something must be done."
- Embargoed: 17th July 2017 09:46
- Keywords: Guillaume Kasbarian LREM Macron management consultant MP National Assembly Chartres
- Location: PARIS, MAINTENON, EPERNON, CHAMPHOL AND CHARTRES, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, MAINTENON, EPERNON, CHAMPHOL AND CHARTRES, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0016O5Y4HZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: THIS STORY WAS ORIGINALLY FILED ON JUNE 27, 2017 AS 2152-FRANCE-POLITICS/LAWMAKER. IT IS BEING REFILED WITH NO CHANGES MADE TO THE ORIGINAL EDIT.
New French lawmaker Guillaume Kasbarian dreams of criss-crossing his constituency once a week to meet voters in a red and green fortune-teller's caravan that is for sale in a local garage.
The 30-year old business consultant is one of an army novices whose election to parliament last month for President Emmanuel Macron's new Republic on the Move party completed a seismic shift in France's political landscape.
Kasbarian had never been involved in politics before joining the independent centrist party when it was set up a year ago.
Now he wants to put the spark back into politics in his Eure-et-Loir constituency south west of Paris to reengage disillusioned voters who stayed away from the ballot box in record numbers.
Some 415 of the 577 lawmakers are newcomers, elected to a younger, more diverse parliament that began sitting on June 27.
The 30-year-old political rookie Kasbarian won his parliamentary seat in his constituency in Chartres against long-term conservative mayor of the town Jean-Pierre Gorges who had held the parliamentary seat since 2002.
Reuters followed Kasbarian on his new daily lawmaker duties on Monday (June 26) as he visited a fire station and a hi-tech foam factory, and on his quest to find his caravan.
He visited French parliament last week for the first time to receive his lawmaker's tool-kit, including a tri-coloured scarf and parliament's rule book, all inside a leather briefcase.
Kasbarian said he was well aware of the difficulties ahead, would be loyal to Macron and will make his voice heard. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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