One SMS, and everything has to be reinvented. Aurélien Pradié was landed on Saturday February 18 from the leadership of the Republicans (LR) by a simple message from Eric Ciotti. The meteoric rise of the deputy of the Lot did not resist his repeated attacks against the pension reform and the direction of the movement, favorable to the government copy. The future of the apostle of a social right is dotted.
Eric Ciotti’s sanction took Aurélien Pradié and his relatives by surprise. The small troop exchanged the same day to respond to the boss of LR. Among the guests: MPs Pierre-Henri Dumont, Julien Dive and Raphaël Schellenberger. To journalists, two arguments are repeated over and over again. 1: by staunchly defending a contribution period of 43 years for all long careers, Aurélien Pradié respects the party line formalized in political office on Tuesday, February 14. 2: Eric Ciotti’s ego did not support his media coverage. The slinger, it’s not him!
“Whoever goes out, he blows everything up”
A press release is published on Sunday. Aurélien Pradié denounces a decision “contrary to the requirement of the rally”, but warns: “I remain and will always remain faithful to my political family.” No question of leaving LR. On February 7, he told L’Express three reasons to stay on board. “My loyalty, already. If I go out, it’s to do something, but I’m neither ready nor determined to do it. Whoever goes out, he finally blows everything up. So you have to be ready to take on this responsibility.”
Aurélien Pradié then does not mention a final reason. The general opinion is that the man has few people around him. Between five and ten deputies accompany him, say several sources. All the elected officials hostile to the pension reform did not give in to its sirens. Lotois are criticized for their individualism and devouring ambition. Some, like Dino Cinieri or Jean-Pierre Taite, are close to Laurent Wauquiez. This weak army does not allow personal adventures. “He does not play collective enough and finds himself isolated, notes a deputy. This is his real weakness.” “In political life, you have to know when to count yourself and when not to,” adds an LR strategist.
His relatives assure the opposite. “We have the means to create a parliamentary group [NDLR : cela nécessite un minimum de 15 députés], assures one of them. But the LR group does not have to suffer from a party decision.” Aurélien Pradié is aware of this solitary image. He depicts his fight for long careers as a “collective” adventure, which led to an amendment of group. Conveniently mixing this common fight and his flock. His relatives plan to send a “signal” to show that their champion is not alone. “We are thinking about the best possible collective reaction”, slips a deputy. track under study: they could resign from their functions in the management team of LR.
Lack of notoriety
Necessity is law: Aurélien Pradié will work to bring his sensitivity to life internally. The Lotois believes that the right must first address the popular strata to regain power, and not Macronist voters as Eric Ciotti thinks. Not easy. Stripped of his title of number 2, the chosen one has lost statutory legitimacy. From LR leader, he went from simple hair to scratch. In the entourage of Eric Ciotti, it is hoped that the appetite of the media for Aurélien Pradié will take a hit.
His notoriety is finally modest. 52% of French people do not know him well enough to formulate an opinion on him, notes an Ifop survey published in Paris Match. Only 19% of those polled consider that he “embodies well” the opposition to the pension reform, underlines a poll by the same institute for the JDD. “There is a gap between the media agitation and the reality of notoriety, specifies the director general Opinion of Ifop Frédéric Dabi. Aurélien Pradié is little known to the French.”
The person concerned is counting on the context of relative majority to win. The spotlight has been on the Parliament since this summer, this theater can be a vector of influence. “It will be necessary to deal with us because we exist”, explains the deputy of Pas-de-Calais Pierre-Henri Dumont. Witness the sequence of retirements: the offensive strategy of Aurélien Pradié has made it possible to wrest concessions from the executive. The break with Eric Ciotti, however, comes early, a month after his appointment as number 2 and four before the end of the legislature. History will tell if it broke momentum or was a simple setback.