The 91,000 members of the Republicans are called upon this weekend to choose the new president of the right-wing party. They are 3 to dispute the place: the deputies Eric Ciotti and Aurélien Pradié and the senator Bruno Retailleau. Three men with different political lines but who share an ambition, to prevent the LR ship from sinking definitively.
And it’s no small feat, six months after the disaster of the presidential election, where the party’s candidate, Valérie Pécresse did not even reach 5% of the vote.
While each of the candidates for the presidency of the Republicans has built their own identity – Ciotti the identity, Retailleau the conservative, Pradié the social – none seems able to solve the main equation posed to the party: how to continue to exist when we is reduced to a status of minor political force.
And this while the pressure is growing
Yes, because the presidential camp intends to make LR an ally, whether they like it or not. Each piece of legislation is a potential trap for the right, which must fight for its independence, while remaining consistent with its ideas. And the belly dancing will continue until there is no more political space for the right outside the presidential alliance. The temptation will then become stronger and stronger for elected LRs to join the ranks of Macronie or, on the contrary, to bet on the radical opposition and emigrate to the far right.
Eric Ciotti nevertheless hopes to hold THE solution
A martingale called Laurent Wauquiez. The fallen angel of the LRs has played it “crossing the desert” since leaving the presidency of the party three years ago. Eric Ciotti sees him as the best chance to redress the right with his managerial and radical profile. The two men therefore toped: to Eric Ciotti the presidency of the Republicans and to Laurent Wauquiez the candidacy for the 2027 presidential election. An alliance which allows the boss of the Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne region not to expose himself too much and to build at his pace his presidential stature. To Eric Ciotti the task of avoiding the implosion of the party by then.
But this option Bruno Retailleau does not believe in it
The senator from Vendée judges that it is far too early to appoint a candidate and that ideas must come before egos. In short, we must first rebuild the right and a program before wanting to win the presidential election. But basically, all on the right dream of the same scenario, the collapse of the Macron house once its leader has left, the head of state not being able to seek a 3rd consecutive term. The rivers would then return to their banks… and the Republicans would find their electorate and their opponent and favorite victim: the left.
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