They are five to dream of being a candidate of the right for the 2022 presidential election and they have only a few days left to try to make a difference. From Wednesday, December 1, the nearly 150,000 members of the Les Républicains party will be able to vote to decide between Michel Barnier, Xavier Bertrand, Eric Ciotti, Philippe Juvin and Valérie Pécresse. In recent weeks, the five candidates have competed with proposals and shocking sentences on immigration and security, especially during the televised debates between them. Why this outbidding on sovereign issues?
First of all, this right-handedness makes sense. The primaries often have the effect of radicalizing the debates. In addition, unlike 2016, this time it is the only LR members who choose their champion for 2022. And these activists are considered more to the right than their elected officials. So to please this hard core, there is no question of appearing lax.
It’s the media’s fault, we retort in the various stables. The candidates ” answer journalists’ questions », Defends with a little bad faith a member close to Michel Barnier.
Zemmour in ambush
The right has also reacted to competition, since the start of the school year, from the far-right polemicist, Eric Zemmour. ” Zemmour wants to make a merger and acquisition of Marine Le Pen and the former RPR [ancêtre de LR] », A party executive told us in September. For the right, we must therefore be present on this ground so as not to lose it. The participation, in the race for the LR nomination, of the very right-hander Eric Ciotti makes it possible to keep in the fold the militants who would be tempted by the polemicist.
Marine Le Pen, for her part, boastful. “ They took over my proposals in copy and paste », Says the far-right candidate. ” Before, we were told that we were running behind the RN, now it’s behind Zemmour, we’re fed up, we’ve been active on these themes for years », Protested Brigitte Kuster, spokesperson for Michel Barnier. It is true that in 2016 Nicolas Sarkozy or François Fillon were already talking about establishing migration quotas or limiting family reunification.
Too right?
The left, it denounces a ” zemmourization Of spirits. Some right-wing figures also made their critical voices heard. Like Renaud Muselier, regional president in the south-east, for whom LR has lost his compass. ” These are themes that interest the French and 2022 will be played on the regal », Replies an elected Republicans of the North. ” Everyone agrees on ecology, whereas there is a divide on immigration ”, he believes. By the way, this makes it possible to oppose Emmanuel Macron.
And then there are several times in a campaign: “ first we gather our camp, then we talk to the French “, Argues this close to Xavier Bertrand. After December 4, it will be necessary to expand to 100%. And put water in his wine.