A petition within the university has been launched against Pascal Olivard, after the president and former centrist candidate in the city denounced a “unnatural agreement” between socialists and rebels for the second round of the municipal election.
For around 300 teachers, students, and administrative staff at the University of Western Brittany, a president should not say that. Since the publication in the local press of a press release by Pascal Olivard denouncing an “unnatural alliance” between the PS and LFI in Brest for the second round of the municipal elections on Tuesday, March 17, the controversy has grown. According to Ouest France, an internal petition at the university was put online by the “university community” to denounce the president’s stance.
Less than twenty-four hours after the first round results, the outgoing PS mayor of Brest, François Cuillandre, who arrived seven points behind his right and center rival (23.80% against 30.24%), decided on a “technical merger” with France Insoumise, third in the poll with 15.39%. Twelve LFI candidates would thus join the only left-leaning list in the second round. If elected, they would retain their right to vote and would not be part of the executive, nor in opposition.
An alliance of factions that Pascal Olivard, former centrist candidate in the 2020 municipal elections in the city, publicly denounced. In a Facebook post, he explained: “In 2024, I expressed my opposition to the extreme right in the legislative elections, considering that it does not uphold the values of the Republic. Today I express myself again, for similar reasons, but for the other extreme on the political spectrum that also does not embody the values of the Republic.” On the same day, the Le Télégramme newspaper published a statement in which the UBO president denounces “the elected officials and leaders of LFI” whom he accuses of “never condemning illegal occupations and damage to university premises,” which occurred in March 2025. “The announced alliance between these two lists for the second round of the municipal election is therefore unnatural, even though the community [labelled PS, Editor’s note] has always supported its university,” he states.
“A such interference equates to a voting instruction”
This stance has been particularly criticized by Nicolas Le Merrer, director of the philosophy department at the university, who spoke on behalf of petition signatories to France Info. “He has stepped out of his role. Pascal Olivard can certainly have political opinions and express them, but not as a representative of a university community. The university is a place of political pluralism and critical reflection,” he said. According to France Bleu Bretagne, the petition launched at UBO describes the president’s statement as “interference in the public debate” equivalent to “effectively a voting instruction, even if implicit.”
Pascal Olivard claims the right to “speak up when the cause is important and raises questions about respect for university values.” Juridically, nothing seems to prevent him from doing so. Unlike academy rectors appointed by the state and bound by a duty of neutrality, university presidents are elected by their peers and enjoy more autonomy, including in their public expression.
