White smoke at Les Républicains (LR). After weeks of rumors, lobbying through the media, for some, and hesitation on the part of the party’s president, the still undecided Eric Ciotti, the complete list for the European elections was revealed on Tuesday April 30. Who to invest behind the head of the list, François-Xavier Bellamy, who has been campaigning for weeks with Tarn farmer Céline Imart (number 2) and General Christophe Gomart (number 3)?
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When Nadine Morano leaves the Social Museum in Paris, where LR held its investiture committee on Tuesday morning, the MEP’s smile is unmistakable. The Sarkozyst announces her sixth place on the list, almost hand in hand with number 4, Isabelle Le Callennec, former MP for Ille-et-Vilaine. “I am very proud to be in such a good position in the list led by François-Xavier Bellamy whose career in the European Parliament is exemplary”greets the current mayor of Vitré (Ille-et-Vilaine).
“This list also responds to regional balances, explains Mme Morano. At Les Républicains, we have roots in all our territories and it seemed important to us that Brittany, the South-East, Alsace and all the regions were represented. » This regional balance can explain the chef’s surprise, the 5e place of Laurent Castillo, surgeon from Nice and close to Eric Ciotti. “He is quite new to politics, but he is someone of high quality and it is a good thing to have people from civil society”observes the LR deputy for Alpes-Maritimes Eric Pauget.
Two notable absentees
In a list given at 6% in the fourth wave of the Ipsos survey, in partnership with Cevipof, the Montaigne Institute, the Jean Jaurès Foundation and The world, on April 29, the potentially eligible places can be counted on the fingers of one or two hands for the most optimistic. Brice Hortefeux felt the wind in the name of the rejuvenation requested by some internally. “We must renew to death, take out the Morano and Hortefeux”, confided a party executive recently. The message was not heard. Former interior minister secures 7th placee. In recent days, the MEP had highlighted his internal networks (with the very influential Laurent Wauquiez, president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region) and media. “We must ensure the balance between renewal and experience”he pleaded in an interview with ParisianApril 15.
The timid renewal is embodied by Guilhem Carayon (9e), president of young LR and very active on TV sets to support François-Xavier Bellamy. The outgoing MEP Nathalie Colin-Oesterlé appears just in front of him, a place reserved in the name of the agreement with the Les Centristes party of Hervé Morin. Another outgoing, Geoffroy Didier finds himself in a very ejectable seat, in eleventh position. A little surprise. The organizer of the Estates General of the right became one of Eric Ciotti’s trusted men, but made the mistake, in 2019, of running for the position of head of delegation in place of François-Xavier Bellamy.
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