“We must stop hiding our faces,” laments an executive from Ensemble pour la République (EPR). We have already lost this constituency! » The by-election which is to be held in the ninth constituency of Hauts-de-Seine (Boulogne-Billancourt) – following the departure of Stéphane Séjourné for the European Parliament after his appointment to the key position of Commissioner responsible for Industrial Strategy – has not yet been announced and candidates are already rushing to try to wrest this seat from the presidential party.
“Everyone will want to recover this golden deputation,” anticipates Xavier Iacovelli, centrist senator from Hauts-de-Seine, aware that, never under the Fifth Republic, this constituency fell into the hands of the left. And in fact, it didn’t take long! Antoine de Jerphanion, deputy mayor of Boulogne-Billancourt, declared himself last week under the Horizons label. Additional mark – if one was needed – of Édouard Philippe’s desire to display his emancipation towards Emmanuel Macron. And since then, other candidates have already followed suit.
“There is a consensus among Les Écologists, as within the New Popular Front, for me to represent myself,” Pauline Rapilly Ferniot tells us. The unsuccessful candidate in the last legislative elections – she was largely beaten by Stéphane Séjourné in July (27.37% against 72.63% in the second round) – believes today that there is a mouse hole to be able to win . “If there are several right-wing candidates, this constituency is takeable,” she says cheerfully. During by-elections, we must not forget that abstention is always the big winner. And our strength on the left is our ability to mobilize our electorate more easily than our adversaries. »
“From a golden constituency, it will end up becoming a cursed constituency! »
Already, this municipal councilor from Boulogne-Billancourt, who describes herself as a pragmatic environmentalist – “We are not all Sandrine Rousseau” -, walks the markets every weekend. “We collected around a hundred contacts from volunteers to help us put up posters or organize public meetings. » The campaign has started!
And this is what worries Ensemble for the Republic, which intends to keep this precious seat. Especially since the few recent departures have only weakened a party that has already lost around a hundred deputies since the early legislative elections. According to corroborating sources, Gabriel Attal, at the head of the group in the National Assembly, intends to present Laurianne Rossi, a faithful who accompanied her to Matignon as head of the parliamentary pole. “She has no political weight! » deplores a party executive, aware that the “non-aggression pact” signed in June between the presidential coalition and the Republicans – although disapproved by the national authorities of the LR – should not be renewed this time. “After what Laurent Wauquiez did? Impossible ! » declares a parliamentarian, almost choking up.
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Last week, the president of the Republican Right group made his Macronist partners fail to retain the economic affairs commission, for the benefit of the New Popular Front. “That has nothing to do with it!” » objects Gabriel Attal, behind the scenes. The former Prime Minister, however, knows well that, inflated by his presidential ambitions, Laurent Wauquiez will not give him any gifts in the coming months. Antoine de Jerphanion is already speaking, according to our information, with the right to counter any EPR candidacy. “He discusses freely with LR elected officials in the constituency,” confirms a close friend of Édouard Philippe. The campaign for the 2027 presidential election has also started! And the tensions within this emerging and shaky majority are only just beginning. The by-election in the ninth constituency of Hauts-de-Seine will only be one of the collateral damages. “From a golden constituency, it will end up becoming a cursed constituency! » already predicts an EPR framework.
