Sébastien Lecornu and Stanislas Guérini - CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT / AFP

  • The Republic on the march obtained disappointing results in the first round of the municipal elections.
  • For the second round on June 28, the presidential party did not enact an alliance strategy at the national level.
  • In several cities, LREM has opted for a rapprochement with the right.

The teams are now complete. Candidates for the second round of municipal elections had until Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. to submit their final lists to the prefecture, before resuming a strange campaign, upset by the coronavirus. In recent days, the negotiations have therefore redoubled in order to win town halls on the evening of June 28. What about La République en Marche? Emmanuel Macron's party maintains its objective of having 10,000 municipal councilors elected, but its hopes of conquering large cities are slim. After a delicate first round, LREM opted for a strategy with variable geometry, between withdrawals and alliances on a case-by-case basis.

Some cancellations, especially in Perpignan to "block" the RN

“Faced with the National Gathering, our strategy is clear. We don't want to be the RN's stepping stone, so if our candidate is third or more, we withdraw, ”said a party official before the campaign. This choice was illustrated in particular in Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales). Romain Grau, LREM candidate who arrived in 4th position on March 15, announced his withdrawal in order to "block" the deputy RN Louis Aliot, who came largely in the lead (35.6% of the vote) before the outgoing LR mayor Jean-Marc Pujol ( 18.4%). LREM candidates also threw in the towel after disappointing scores in cities where the RN was however unable to win. This is particularly the case in Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne) in Albi (Tarn), or in Rouen (Seine-Maritime), without giving voting instructions.

Alliances on a case-by-case basis, but especially with the right

No national alliance for Emmanuel Macron's party in this in-between round. But in an interview with the Parisian , published on Sunday, the boss of LREM, Stanislas Guérini, warns: "We will have strengthened the ties with hundreds of mayors, left and right, whom we want to help get re-elected. These comparisons will be made on a case-by-case basis, and more generally with the right. This is the case in Bordeaux, where the LREM candidate Thomas Cazenave finally ranked behind the outgoing mayor LR Nicolas Florian. A list merger is also planned between Eric Faidy (LREM) and Jean-Pierre Brenas (LR) to win the city hall of Clermont-Ferrand, held by the PS since 1945.

Why I decided to build a coalition with @ nflorian33. #Bordeaux # Municipales2020 pic.twitter.com/68OKg2PExY

- Thomas Cazenave (@T_Cazenave) June 2, 2020

In Lyon, the withdrawal of the outgoing mayor and candidate for the metropolis Gérard Collomb, within the framework of a pact with the local right, made more stir. LREM has finally withdrawn the investiture of the former Minister of the Interior and that of his foal Yann Cucherat, candidate for mayor.

In Paris, no global agreement has been concluded between the right and the macronists. But in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, the LREM Florence Berthout announces this Tuesday that it has deposited a "various right" list for the second round and will support ... the candidacy of Rachida Dati.

The examples of agreement between LREM and the left for the second round are much less numerous. Dreux is an exception, with an alliance between Michaële de La Giroday (without label), Valentino Gambuto (PS) and Maxime David (LREM) to counter Pierre-Frédéric Billet (various right).

The delicate issue of dissidents and competing allies

In February, LREM counted “thirty dissidents” in the cities of more than 9,000 inhabitants. The most illustrious of them, Cédric Villani, said he would not make an alliance with the party's candidate in Paris, Agnès Buzyn. In Lyon, the dissident ticket Georges Képénékian- David Kimelfeld (city-metropolis) will also be present in the second round, after having decried the rallying of "official" walkers with the local right. In Annecy, the alliance of the dissident and former LREM MP Frédérique Lardet with the ecologist François Astorg could overthrow the outgoing mayor UDI (supported by LREM) Jean-Luc Rigaud.

LREM was, however, to reconcile candidates competing in the first round, although belonging to the presidential majority: an agreement was thus reached with the MoDem in Saint-Brieuc, or with the Radical Movement in Tours.

Paris

Municipal in 2020 in Paris: Florence Berthout, the ex-LR candidate of Agnès Buzyn, rebra right

Lille

Municipales 2020 in Lille: Why there was no alliance between the Greens and Martine Aubry in the second round

  • Emmanuel Macron
  • Political party
  • Elections
  • LREM
  • Municipal