The president is due to give a speech on Europe this Thursday from the Sorbonne. But will this entry into the campaign really be an asset for his camp? Doubts are allowed.
Forty-six days before the 2024 European elections, nothing is decided yet. But in the polls, the gap between the National Rally list, led by Jordan Bardella, and that of Renaissance, with Valérie Hayer as leader, is glaring. In the latest update of Ifop-Fiducial survey carried out for Le FigaroLCI and Sud Radiothe Macronist camp, although it is nibbling some ground for the first time in a long time, rising to 17.5% of voting intentions, remains far behind the RN and its 31%.
So, the big speech ofEmmanuel Macron on Europe scheduled for this Thursday, April 25 at the Sorbonne will it change the situation? If the Élysée assures that this is only “a speech from a head of state”, as relayed The Parisian, many people see it as an entry into the campaign of the President of the Republic. Daily in the capital, one of the confidants of the tenant of the Élysée affirms that Emmanuel Macron would be “convinced that he will change the situation”.
“Repeat the blow of 2019”
A card from the Macron camp also assures him, the President of the Republic wishes to “repeat the blow of 2019, when he relaunched Nathalie Loiseau’s campaign”. But does he still have the capacity? “I don’t think so,” confides this same source, while a supporter evokes “the wear and tear of power.” Grateful to 20 minutes that in 2019, Emmanuel Macron had “made it possible to save the furniture”, with 22.42% of the votes against 23.34% for the RN, according to figures from the Ministry of the Interiora Renaissance MP notes today that “there is no longer this hype that followed 2017” and even speaks of “a very strong rejection of the president among the electorate”.
This is evidenced by this Ifop-Fiducial survey published by South Radio Monday April 15. According to him, 74% of French people say they are dissatisfied with the action of the President of the Republic, or three quarters of French people. Always near 20 minutesa deputy confides that she has “no illusions”, while the deputy of the Democratic Movement, Erwan Balanant, points to “an election which is coming up at mid-term” and during which “some could be tempted to sanction the president”.
A speech at the Sorbonne denounced by the opposition, but sometimes also expected
On the opposition side, La France insoumise deplores a double standard concerning the banned conference of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, but also accuses Macronie of using “the means of the State to campaign”, as notably asserted on LFI deputy Bastien Lachaud. The camp of the third man in this election, Raphaël Glucksmann, sees in this speech a movement of “panic”, according to a close friend of the head of the list whose Le Figaro echoes. And he points out: “The Macronists thought they could campaign by presenting themselves as the only pro-Europeans. We managed to kick in the door.”
Finally, at the National Rally, the arrival of Emmanuel Macron on the front of the stage would almost delight as the objective is to make this election an “anti-Macron referendum”. One thing is certain, in the event of defeat, and even more so if it is marked, the president will emerge weakened from this battle. And the results will not be without consequences for the rest of the five-year term…