Laurent Wauquiez candidate of the Les Républicains (LR) party for the presidency of 2027. That is what Éric Ciotti has been promising for several weeks, if he is elected president at the congress of his political party in December. Bruno Retailleau, also a candidate to take the reins of rue de Vaugirard, opposes this strategic choice of the MP for the Alpes-Maritimes.
According to the leader of the LR senators, interviewed on France Info, it would be a “mistake” of both the “party” and the designated “candidate”. First, in terms of training, I would put “personalities, egos before ideas,” says Bruno Retailleau.
“However, I think we have a lot of work to do. We have to redefine the software and I know perfectly well that we will give in to our intellectual laziness if we name a candidate too early”, continues the senator from Vendée.
Regarding Laurent Wauquiez, he recognizes that the latter “has all the qualities” to be president of LR. However, the elected official warns that the 2024 European elections are just over a year away.
“If we ever stumble (…) we will electrocute our designated candidate a year ago,” he judges.
Bruno Retailleau thus proposes to wait for the Europeans in 2024 and then leave the choice to the members to designate their leader for the presidential election.
“A leader, a candidate, a renewed organization”
Guest of BFMTV-RMC, Éric Ciotti defended his strategy.
“We are going to advance step by step. There is an important step, which is to rebuild our political family, give it a leader. That is my goal, my ambition.” [ensuite] to prepare for this presidential election,” explained the deputy for the Alpes-Maritimes.
And to specify its “road map”: a leader, a candidate, a modernized and renewed organization”. To better justify his election, he mentioned the last two presidential elections in which the right had decided to go through primaries a few months before the Elysian. deadline to elect their leader, with, upon arrival, a defeat each time.
“The activists will choose. If they want the primaries again, waiting again for November 2026 to wait for the candidate, it is not [pour] they have to vote,” said Éric Ciotti.
For his part, Laurent Wauquiez recently announced, as expected, that he would support Éric Ciotti in the LR congress, defending in the process “an elected official who has courage, clarity on difficult issues such as security and immigration.”
Source: BFM TV
