Barely had the results of the first round of the legislative elections been known – RN in the lead, New Popular Front (NFP) second and presidential majority distanced – that already voting instructions and withdrawals were piling up in the more than 300 constituencies where at least three candidates qualified for the second round. Here, this Monday, are the candidates who announced their withdrawal in an attempt to block the way.
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At the New Popular Front, instructions and withdrawals
A few minutes after the announcement of the results on Sunday, Jean-Luc Mélenchon spoke from the HQ of La France insoumise. “In accordance with our principles and our constant positions in all previous elections, nowhere will we allow the RN to win, and this is why, in the event that it came out on top, while we were only in third position, we would withdraw our candidacy.”did he declare.
Consequence: several deputies, caught in triangulars, announced their withdrawal, like Noé Gauchard, NFP candidate in 6e constituency of Calvados, which leaves the way clear for Élisabeth Borne to face the National Rally. Three candidates invested by the New Popular Front in the North, who came third in the first round of the legislative elections on Sunday, have confirmed their withdrawals in constituencies where the National Rally came out on top, sometimes very comfortably, notes theAFPThey are Ophélie Delneste, Damien Lacroix and Pierrick Colpin.
In Marseille, Allan Popelard, official LFI candidate in 5e constituency of Bouches-du-Rhône, confirmed that he was withdrawing in favor of Hendrik Davi, the outgoing rebellious deputy, who came ahead of him in the first round and who, like four other outgoing elected members of the party, had not been reinvested.
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Dilemma in the majority
In the presidential camp, it is less clear. Everyone agrees on the urgency of standing up to the RN, but different voices are being heard as to the manner. Thus, François Bayrou, president of the MoDem, defended withdrawals constituency by constituency and the former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, president of Horizons, called for blocking the RN but also LFI, a position also defended this Monday by the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire.
Macronist Jean-Pierre Pont, outgoing MP in Pas-de-Calais, announced his withdrawal this morning, calling for “beat the RN”largely in the lead in this constituency, without however giving the instruction to vote for the left-wing candidate.
The same goes for Albane Branlant, spokesperson for Young People with Macron, who is retiring in the 1re constituency of the Somme in favor of François Ruffin. “I do not confuse political adversary and enemy of the Republic”she explained. To prevent Marie-Caroline Le Pen (National Rally) from accessing the Palais Bourbon, Sylvie Casenave-Péré, who came third in the 4e constituency of Sarthe, finally decided to withdraw his candidacy, after initially announcing his continuation.
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Others refuse. Coming third (22%) behind Éric Ciotti (41%) and NFP candidate Olivier Salerno (26%), Graig Monetti, who represents the presidential camp, decided to maintain his candidacy in the second round in 1re constituency of Alpes-Maritimes. “I am best able to bring things together”he writes on X (formerly Twitter).
The same goes for Anne-Laure Babault, who nevertheless came third in the 2e constituency of Charente-Maritime: she calls on the ecologist Benoît Biteau, although better ranked than her, to withdraw.
Former ministers step down
Figures from Macronie have already announced their withdrawal, like Marie Gévenoux and Sabrina Agresti-Roubache. The first, Minister of Overseas Territories, arrived in 3e position in his constituency of Essonne. “We must do everything to win the candidates from the Republican arc who are able to win next Sunday”, she pleaded in a press release. Same scenario for Sabrina Agresti-Roubache, Secretary of State for the City and outgoing MP, who came third in 1re constituency of Marseille.
Late this Monday morning, Fadila Khattabi, Minister Delegate for the Elderly and People with Disabilities, made a similar statement.
Outgoing MP and candidate in 3e constituency of the Côte d’Or, she arrived behind an RN-LR candidate and that of the New Popular Front.
Further withdrawals are expected to occur in the coming hours. Candidates still in the running have until Tuesday 6 p.m. to decide whether or not to continue.
