LREM. A few days after the alliance sealed with François Bayrou and Edouard Philippe for the legislative elections, LREM launched its campaign for the legislative elections. And not going to change its name just yet.
The docks of Paris, in Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis), a new symbolic place for La République en Marche? The site from which Emmanuel Macron had really launched his presidential campaign by presenting his program was once again the scene of a great rally of the presidential majority. The Elysian battle being won, it was time for the launch of that of the legislative elections, Tuesday, May 10, 2022. One month before the first round, it was a question of training for candidates aspiring to (re) become deputies. To do this, various workshops were planned: on the project, strategy, campaign tools and communication. All closed with a speech by Emmanuel Macron to galvanize his troops. A large gathering with a main aim: to display the uniqueness of the political formation by launching the campaign “at the national level before everyone goes to decline it on their territory”, as the campaign team explained.
Nominations under tension in the legislative elections for LREM
A facade unit that hides a number of tensions, past or present. Because before the family photo, the negotiations between the various movements close to LREM were tough. The “Together” confederation, which should enable Emmanuel Macron to once again obtain a majority in the National Assembly, includes several parties, including Edouard Philippe’s Horizons, with whom relations have been particularly tense in recent weeks, but also the MoDem by François Bayrou, Agir by Franck Riester or Territories of Progress by Olivier Dussopt. Negotiations on the distribution of constituencies were tough and some arbitrations were not unanimous. LREM deputies elected in 2017 have not been reinvested by the Macronist party despite their intention to run for a second term, leaving an atmosphere of small scullery arrangements with a bitter taste for those left on the sidelines. At least for the investiture, because dissenting candidacies have already been announced, as with that of Stéphane Vojetta, deputy of the 5and constituency of French people living abroad, while LREM supported Manuel Valls in this territory.
LR deputies who have moved to LREM
As for the Republicans’ unraveling business, only the voters (at least the presidential ones) seem to have fled their party in favor of Emmanuel Macron. Because La République en Marche has only managed to officially enlist five ex-LRs in its ranks. Two takes are symbolic, however: that of Robin Reda, LR regional councilor and close to Valérie Pécresse, as well as that of Constance Le Grip, behind LR deputy for Hauts-de-Seine, a territory historically dedicated to the traditional right, and elected on the symbolic 6and constituency, that of Neuilly-sur-Seine, where Nicolas Sarkozy won all the local elections from 1983 to 2005. If it should not further impoverish Les Républicains, La République en Marche, and more broadly the “Together” coalition, would have decided to “leave” certain constituencies to LRs considered Macron-compatible, the image of Damien Abad or Guillaume Larrivé. Understand that the majority will not go out of their way to achieve victory in these territories.
Did La République en Marche really become “Renaissance”?
In recent days, the news of the change of identity of La République en Marche has circulated a lot. After being called En Marche when it was founded six years ago, then LREM once Emmanuel Macron was in power, the political formation had to change its name to be called “Renaissance”. The announcement was made by Stanislas Guerini, Thursday, May 5, 2022, during a press conference at party headquarters. “It is indeed a change of nature and name that we are initiating. It is a refoundation of LREM to build a presidential party which will be called Renaissance”, he explained. Exit LREM, make way for Renaissance? Not quite.
This modification is not definitive. Above all, the announcement could be premature. This is what explains Playbook, citing an inside party source. The majority would be visibly “surprised” to have learned of this announcement of the name change of the main party in the ruling coalition. This same term “Renaissance”, already used as the name for the LREM list in the 2019 European elections, should in reality be used for a “refounding process” to merge LREM into a larger whole. This union which “will absorb the small parties”, according to the source of Playbook, should also include “Agir” and “Territories of progress”, small formations on the same political line as LREM. A hypothesis that Stanislas Guérini seemed to confirm during his visit to RTL on May 6: “We have decided to launch the creation of a new political party, which will be called Renaissance, it is not done yet, but which will bring together (…) political parties, this is the proposal that we we are going to do to our partners, I am thinking of Agir, of Territories of progress (…)”. All with the aim of “creating a broader political party”, he explained. The transition from LREM to Renaissance is therefore not for now.