After receiving the leaders of the National Rally (RN), Ensemble pour la République and the Socialist Party (PS), the Prime Minister, François Bayrou, received those of the Republicans (LR) at the beginning of the afternoon. While none of them spoke at the end of the meeting, the head of the LR senators, Mathieu Darnaud, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that they had asked Mr. Bayrou “to clarify its roadmap” government, calling on it to integrate them “significantly” to his team if his project suits them.
Received in Matignon with Laurent Wauquiez, head of the Republican Right (DR) deputies, Mr. Darnaud explained that he had reminded the Prime Minister of the “priorities” from LR, citing in particular “continuity on the regalian”, « l’immigration » or even “the agricultural emergency”. “The programmatic aspect must dominate: it must quickly clarify its roadmap”he explained, affirming that LR’s participation in the government would depend on “back who [leur] will be done ».
“If we were to participate, we told him that we wanted our political family to be represented in a meaningful way”he nevertheless warned. Right-wing leaders did not specifically mention the case of their representative at the Ministry of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau. “It was obvious to us given our desire for continuity on sovereign issues, and the Prime Minister understood this well”he further noted.
On the budget, which must be voted on at the beginning of 2025, “it’s up to [M. Bayrou] to specify his method, he has not done so at this stage”affirmed the senator, who took over from Mr. Retailleau at the head of the LR group in the Senate, the leading political force in the Palais du Luxembourg. Regarding the introduction of proportional representation in the legislative elections, Mr. Darnaud recognized that LR had “always been behind on this subject”but that the right “will discuss it, as always”calling to consider at the same time the question of the return of the accumulation of mandates, “to powerfully reconnect parliamentarians to their territory”.
