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In one week the second round of French presidential election, FRANCE 24 joined a small team of socialist activists who travels around Nîmes in the Gard (South ). Locally, the stakes are high for the Socialist Party (PS). Gard is the only department where the National Front (FN) came in first place in the first ballot.

Although polls show nearly 10 points ahead to Francois Hollande, his supporters have not put away their leaflets. For the first time, the PS has launched a major campaign door to door in neighborhoods traditionally acquired left, where abstention is high.

A method inspired U.S. campaign activists have lists of homes abstainers from which they organize their tour, using methods inspired by the e ; team of Barack Obama in 2008. Each activist receives training on sales techniques and began with optimism and big smiles, the quest for votes. The guidelines are clear. And timed interventions. "People who do not agree with us are entitled to two minutes, those are the five," said Laurent Thomas, a gardener of Nimes, who traveled through the city every evening these last four weeks. "We are always polite and we do not argue with people, he says. If they do not want to talk to us, we simply follow our path. Our mission is to inform as many people as possible about Francois Hollande. We are not there to convert anyone. Above all we want people to go vote on May 6 "

Le Pen's voters evasive On the streets, residents seem surprised by the presence of these activists in red coats. Kevin Boucard, 31, ensures that the "Obama method" works, and that the team managed to cover almost the whole city in the weeks before the vote. "People did not used to this type of direct approach in France, he assures. Many of our activists are a little afraid of approaching people directly but they come quickly to overcome shyness. "In a region where 25% of voters chose Le Pen at the first round of the election, activists Frontists are surprisingly elusive. From the window of his house, a mother of two says FRANCE 24: "J ' I voted for Le Pen in the first round. I will refrain in the second. I will not vote for neither Holland nor for Sarkozy. "She did not want to be named or photographed. The door to door ends at 8:30 p.m. "not to disturb people at dinner time" and to allow the team to meet and to discuss the work done during the day. "This is an important moment, we learn from each other and this makes us feel good," said Thomas.