The Republicans have unveiled their program and hope to clarify their project for the legislative elections while the party is still caught between the majority and the far right and the idea of an alliance with the RN confuses their positioning.
New challenge for the right: surviving one more vote, that of the legislative elections. The European elections were a new blow for the Les Républicains (LR) party, which remains caught between the presidential majority and the extreme right of the National Rally. But the right is experiencing a new crisis in the middle of the legislative campaign while its president, Eric Ciotti, has concluded an alliance with the Lepenist party against the opinion of the majority of members of the right. Between the pro and the anti-Ciotti, the party is torn apart and continues to weaken while the objective is to rebuild itself and retain the seats in the National Assembly.
The crisis facing the right in this legislative campaign confuses the project of LR which wants to distance itself from the policy of the presidential majority, which has taken a turn to the right, without getting confused with the more radical measures of the far right. “Since 2017, Emmanuel Macron and his successive governments have plunged our country into a situation of helplessness. […] However, let us not give in to the sound and fury of the populists and the extremes of all sides who would throw France into chaos” write Les Républicains anti-Ciotti in a profession of faith. But it is clear that according to the campaign themes the right shares ideas with Emmanuel Macron’s camp or moves closer to more right-wing ideas.
LR’s 10 flagship proposals
The LR party condensed its main measures in a profession of faith published in mid-June and consulted by Le Figaro. If the document is distributed by elected officials who identify themselves as anti-Ciotti, it takes up ideas held by the right for many years and therefore by its criticized president:
- Reindustrialize the country for prosperity and purchasing power;
- Controlling uncontrolled immigration;
- Implement a real housing policy;
- Take back control of penal policy;
- Support assimilation and fight against Islamism;
- Fight against bureaucracy to liberate the French and support farmers and businesses;
- Promote an ecology based on progress and respectful of the rural way of life;
- Put public accounts in order and correct the excesses of the social model;
- Promote families and fundamentally reform education and health.
Status quo on retirement at 64
On various subjects, the Republicans do not plan to reopen the debate after the adoption of texts supported by the presidential majority. This is the case with the pension reform which caused a lot of noise at the time of its examination and adoption. The right does not plan to reverse the increase in the retirement age to 64 and therefore agrees with the opinion of the presidential majority. Same thing with regard to employment and unemployment insurance reform. If the right strongly denounced this reform, it does not plan to return to this point denouncing the accumulation of reforms.
On salaries and taxation
While purchasing power is one of the main concerns of the French and inflation still weighs on wallets, the Republicans promise an increase in wages thanks to the reduction in social security contributions for employees who receive less than three times the minimum wage (around €4,200 net).
Concerning taxation, the right promises to lower taxes and social security contributions, but in return public spending will decrease by 25 billion euros and the number of civil servants will also be reduced.
Tightening of immigration law
Immigration is one of the subjects on which the right is campaigning and on this point the Republicans plan to toughen the immigration law adopted, not without spilling ink, at the end of 2023. The text initiated by the presidential majority had been adopted in a hardened version by the right and the extreme right before being rebutted by the Constitutional Council. Which had censored the measures added by the right. The Republicans therefore wish to reinstate these measures, in particular those tightening access for foreigners to social benefits.