What new boss for Les Républicains? Little by little, the election of the next president of the right-wing party is approaching, with a first round scheduled for December 3 and 4, and the candidates are increasingly clear. Several figures have already officially declared themselves to succeed Annie Genevard, interim president, after the departure of Christian Jacob in June.
• Eric Ciotti
He is the first to declare himself. The deputy for the Alpes-Maritimes since 2007, Éric Ciotti, announced in July his candidacy for the presidency of his party. He declares that he wants to make an “ideological revolution” in his party so that the LR can weigh between the RN and macronismo.
Éric Ciotti had caused a surprise last December during the LR vote organized to designate the party’s candidate for the 2022 presidential elections. Having won the vote in the first round, he was finally defeated by Valérie Pécresse, despite winning everything. 39% of the votes. .
Representative of the party’s right, the deputy declared, shortly before the announcement of his candidacy, that he believed that the values of “authority, identity and freedom” constitute “the answers to the ills of our country.”
Supported by Mayor LR Jean Leonetti, but with the support of a more centrist line within the party, Éric Ciotti did not hesitate to lambaste the “hot water applications” to the head of LR.
• Bruno Retailleau
On Friday, it is the turn of the head of senators LR Bruno Retailleau to announce his candidacy highlighting his “ability to federate” in a “popular and patriotic” line.
Supported in particular by Gérard Larcher, François-Xavier Bellamy or even by Éric Ciotti’s former spokesman during the primaries Stéphane Le Rudulier, Senator LR de Vendée advocates in particular for “more security, less taxes and immigration” and for the organization of a referendum. on this last point.
“I will always get close to the voters of Marine Le Pen and Éric Zemmour because I will never resign myself to the fact that the sincerely right-wing French have left us,” he says.
• Aurelien Pradie
Not officially declared, the secretary general of the Republicans, Aurélien Pradié, will have to announce his decision “within a few days”, when he is strongly expected to be a candidate.
Lot’s deputy, 36, says he is in favor of a “total overhaul” of the right, in particular “turning the page on Sarkozyism and (the) failures (of the party).
“The president of the Republicans must be free”, “he is not here to warm up anyone’s place” in the face of the 2027 presidential elections, he declared, refusing to point to Éric Ciotti, supported by Laurent Wauquiez who already shows his ambitions of the Elysium.
• Virginie Calma
His candidacy remains uncertain. The former number 2 of LR, Virginie Calmels, announced her candidacy on August 23, showing a “balanced” line and “at the epicenter of the different currents of LR”.
But the former CEO of Endemol Monde saw her candidacy rejected last Monday by the High Authority of the Republicans, accusing her of updating her listing too late.
Virginie Calmels denounces “maneuvers” aimed at “avoiding” his appearance. “These attempts to prevent my candidacy only strengthen my determination to clean up a party that really needs it,” she said determinedly.
Initially scheduled for the end of November, the first round of the election of the new Republican president should be held on December 3 and 4 before a second round on December 10 and 11. Candidates for the position have until October 2 to officially declare themselves.
Source: BFM TV
