Between Laurent Berger and Marylise Léon, a handover full of joy and emotions at the head of the CFDT

"Dear friends... dear friends... dear friends..." for long seconds, Laurent Berger tried to begin his final speech as Secretary General of the CFDT, covered by thunderous applause that descended from the grandstands. The hundreds of activists gathered for the occasion at the Zénith de Paris knew that they were experiencing a historic moment for the plant. The departure of a number one is always an important moment. That of Laurent Berger, after eleven years, with a balance sheet unanimously recognized as positive and a popularity rating at the top, could only be done under good conditions. In addition to this successful test to the applause meter, these first twenty minutes of words will have mainly served to launch the first of a long list of salvos of thanks. Only a few remonstrances to the executive, without ever citing it, will have altered this flow.

After this first strong moment, things calmed down for a few hours during an intervention and a round table on the results of the sequence of retreats. Once is not custom the election by the office of the new general secretary Marylise Léon did not thrill the militants. It must be said that the games were already made. At 1 p.m., Marylise Léon unanimously became the new number one and Yvan Ricordeau the second with the same score.

A few round tables later, the new number one finally spoke at length in front of the thousands of members gathered. This first speech as number one served him above all to draw the outlines of his program. The opportunity to discuss the subjects that are close to his heart. Issues of discrimination, starting with wage inequalities between men and women, seemed particularly well received by the public. The passage as the first trade union organization in France, during the previous mandate, also remains a chord that resonates strongly in the hearts of the members.

Then after the fight, the emotion. The last few long minutes of his speech became more intimate and entirely intended for Laurent Berger. She thus recalled the three reasons which pushed her more than ten years ago now to join the confederation: “the collective, the files … and you”, she launched, fixing her predecessor.

The opportunity also to look back on the victories but also the difficult times: attacks, confinements and the death of the former number one François Chérèque and Frédéric Sève in charge of the pension file until last year. Emotion but no tears. We do not cry it seems at the CFDT, we scratch our noses. Twice for Marylise Léon and once for Laurent Berger, who in turn grabbed the microphone for “his ultimate speech, period”.

Between the two a short video was projected where several of his relatives told their Laurent Berger. Only time when the ex number one did not receive only compliments. His driver thus approached his way of singing in the car as "suffering at work" and several others pointed to his meager sporting level, with the exception of table football and table tennis, to the laughter of the interested.

For the conclusion, Laurent Berger tried to have a word for each, in a long tirade which he himself described as "an old-fashioned Cannes Festival version of thanks". Comrades, colleagues, friends, families and even "former journalists", all had the right to a short sentence. But once again no tears, because, he promised, he will remain an activist. It's only a good bye.