In 2001, the
French Communist Party asked her to run at the top of the ballot in the
17th arrondissement of Paris against
Françoise de Panafieu, which she described as a "big bourgeois woman" with "appalling class contempt". In 2003, she defended lesbians against the "phallocratic" tendencies of some members of gay associations. She denounced the threat that the Centre d'archives gay-lesbiennes de la mairie de Paris could neglect the "lesbian identity". In 2005, she signed the Appel des indigènes de la République, before ultimately withdrawing her signature when
Tariq Ramadan added his own. During this period, she participated in activities organized by the Conseil représentatif des associations noires de France (CRAN). In the Group of 29 May, she campaigned against the 2004 Treaty of Rome, the European Constitutional Treaty, during the French referendum on the treaty. A frequent presence on television screens, in 2006 Clémentine Autain became a possible candidate for Gauche antilibérale. She was declared ready to be a candidate in the
2007 French presidential election on 10 September 2006, at the meeting of the Collectif national d'initiative pour un rassemblement antilibéral de gauche et des candidatures communes where several local groups were in attendance, believing that she answered the needs of some militants for a candidate who did not represent any party, which gave her an advantage over
Marie-George Buffet,
Olivier Besancenot,
Patrick Braouezec,
Yves Salesse or
José Bové "to synthesize". She participates in the Fondation Copernic, a club for discussions relating to the
radical left and to leftist ideas: the RAP with
Jacques Kergoat, SELS (Sensibilité écologiste libertaire et radicalement sociale-démocrate) or "Ramulaud" (a movement to develop an alternative to the left, named after a restaurant where it was launched). She has also contributed written pieces to ''
L'Humanité''. At the end of 2008 – beginning of 2009, she contributed to the creation of the Fédération pour une alternative sociale et écologique (FASE), a political movement whose objective is to "unite all the forces of transformation and transcendence of capitalism" and of which she is the spokesperson.
Reporting to Paris City Hall As Deputy Youth Mayor of Paris from 2001 to 2007, Clémentine Autain developed the Conseils de la jeunesse de Paris (Youth Councils of Paris), operations charged with providing youth with opportunities for dialogue with elected officials, to contribute their perspectives on important initiatives driving the city (transportation, environment, housing, etc.) and to open projects up to the average Parisian. These operations distribute a budget of approximately 200,000 euros to the councils of the city's arrondissements and another 80,000 euros to the Conseils de la jeunesse de Paris. Thanks to a 50% increase in the budget directed at youth, Clementine Autain put in place different initiatives: Paris Jeunes Talents, Paris Jeunes Vacances, Paris Jeunes Aventures, Paris Jeunes Solidarité, which provide youth with activities such as job training, professional experience, and educational travel.
Reflection After the setback of a planned unitarian antiliberal candidacy, Clémentine Autain decided not to engage in a disunited campaign that was establishing itself:
Controversy in Montreuil In May 2007, Clémentine Autain left the 17th
arrondissement in Paris for a new home in
Montreuil in
Seine-Saint-Denis, and sold her former apartment, which she had bought some years previously. Several months later, Clémentine Autain confirmed her intention to not run as a candidate in the 2008 Paris municipal elections. She expressed concerns about a possible alliance of
Bertrand Delanoë with
MoDem in Paris in the second round of municipal voting. She stated that she moved to Montreuil to "learn about the suburb". Before Clémentine Autain had even moved, there were rumours that she could reinforce the list headed by the outgoing Mayor,
Jean-Pierre Brard, who like Autain, was linked with the communists. In reality, there was no substance to the rumours, the move to Montreuil corresponded above all with her personal choice and economic reasons. On her blog, Clémentine Autain confirms "she had asked nothing of the sort and nothing had been promised". Brard, who was ultimately defeated by
Dominique Voynet, reaffirmed his opposition in principle. In part motivated by a desire to fight the "gentrification" of Montreuil, in the previously more working class community. Living in
Montreuil since early 2008, she cohosts a program focusing on political discussion,
Paroles de gauche (Words from the Left) and supported the militants without papers during their strike.
The Nouveau Parti anticapitaliste During 2008, Autain became involved with the
Nouveau Parti anticapitaliste (NPA) (
New Anticapitalist Party) under development, launched by the Ligue communiste révolutionnaire. Autain attended the national conference of l'Appel de Politis, a movement to create an alternative to the left. She called for "an acting out", making reference to the necessary creation of a new political force. However, this unity did not materialize. Clémentine Autain expressed regret that
Olivier Besancenot and the NPA did not seek to build political majorities nor to work and create alliances with others, such as
Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Autain is active with Fédération pour une alternative sociale et écologique (FASE), for which she is spokesperson. In particular, she has represented FASE at the congress of the Parti de Gauche de Jean-Luc Mélenchon, indicating her desire to work with him despite differences on issues such as secularism, the Republic, the forms of political organisation or the concept of "revolution through the ballot box", to which she prefers that of "democratic revolution". == Activism ==