He arrived with the wind in his face, astonished eyes observing his first steps in Beauvau. No popular momentum brought Bruno Retailleau to government. The Minister of the Interior is not a deputy, The Republicans (LR) suffered a new rout in the legislative elections. The former boss of the senatorial majority has not encountered direct universal suffrage since his election in 2015 as president of the Pays de La Loire Regional Council.
Illegitimate, Bruno Retailleau? Don’t think about it! The Vendéen puts his ideological stamp on his new functions, by means of shocking declarations. He sets himself up as the depositary of the last vote of the French. “We must hear the message they sent us in the first round of the legislative elections. What do they want? More security, less immigration, well I am a democrat, respectful of the sovereign people” , he said on September 24 on Cnews.
As soon as he handed over power to Gérald Darmanin, he spoke of this aspiration for “more order in the streets and at the borders” expressed on June 30. That day, the National Rally and its allies won more than 33% of the votes, far ahead of the central bloc.
“Two possible readings of the ballot”
By this interpretation, Bruno Retailleau coats himself with electoral legitimacy. It is intended to be more solid than simple poll legitimacy, even if the minister sometimes cites opinion surveys favorable to his theses. More dignified, too. A statesman cannot govern on the simple basis of samples of French people.. “There are two possible readings of the vote,” admits a relative. “The real earthquake took place in the first round. 11 million people were ready to give the keys to the truck to Le Pen despite her laborious campaign and her changing positions.” The insufficient regulation of immigration and insecurity, priority concerns of the French, obviously fuel the vote in favor of the far-right party.
This is the advantage of an elusive ballot. Everyone draws from it what they want to support their political claims. “It is a self-legitimation of one’s own desire for action through the result of the elections,” analyzes former Minister of Justice and professor of public law Jean-Jacques Urvoas. Intellectual exercise is not without risks. Bruno Retailleau never explicitly sets himself up as a representative of RN voters. After all, isn’t a turn of the security screw also demanded by LR voters or those of the central bloc?
But its strong references to June 30 de facto establish the frontist vote as a source of political legitimacy. Risky, as the new coalition tries to get rid of the trial in collusion with the far-right group. “Bruno was an RN candidate in the first round of the legislative elections?”, smiles a Republican Right (DR) deputy, although in line with the minister’s orientations. The RN vote is finally composite. According to a BVA survey for West Franceimmigration (71%) and security (64%) were decisive in the vote of RN voters on June 30. Purchasing power comes in third place (59%). Should we then draw more inspiration from Marine Le Pen’s economic proposals to respect the vote of the French?
Ambivalent vote
Bruno Retailleau’s opponents mainly criticize him for his selective memory. The minister dismisses the second round of legislative elections and the creation of a republican front against the RN. The resurgence of such a barrier fuels other interpretations of the French vote. Emmanuel Macron called in July for the formation of a government resulting from this alliance of circumstances. The boss of MoDem deputies Marc Fesneau finally summoned this “collective burst” to mock the declarations of the tenant of Beauvau on the rule of law.
What if this apparent contradiction was only ambivalence? An NFP deputy sees complementarity in this summer election. “The French, including those on the left, want more security and strong regulation of immigration. But they do not trust the RN to lead the country.” From this ambiguity arise contradictory – and always self-interested – analyzes of the election.
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