Six weeks after their bitter failure in Europe, Republicans (LR) continued to heal their wounds Saturday at a closed-door leaders' convention at the initiative of interim president Jean Leonetti.
"There were not many people"
Parliamentarians, presidents and secretaries of departmental federations were invited to Paris to discuss a declaration of "values and principles" of the party, dispossessed of a part of his voters by Emmanuel Macron and marked by many departures. "There were not many people," said a leader who considers nevertheless "brave" the approach undertaken by Jean Leonetti.
About 150 people were present, according to several participants, while LR has more than 200 parliamentarians and as many departmental leaders. The presents discussed a text in 12 points, a sort of charter of values that will be discussed in the departmental federations, in view of a restitution agreement in the autumn, explained Jean Leonetti to AFP.
"Values difficult to oppose frontally Macronian power"
This text uses traditional themes from the right: "freeing work to better reward merit", "authority", "preserving our way of life and our culture". Republicans also say they are "fundamentally committed to national solidarity with the most vulnerable". They are "aware of the ecological and climatic urgency" and advocate a "positive ecology" and not "punitive". They intend to carry an "ethical vision of progress" and refuse "any commodification of the human body", as the examination of the bioethical bill, including the opening of the PMA to all women, approaches.
The president of the Pollingvox Institute Jérôme Sainte-Marie exposed the lessons of the May 26 poll, where the LR list conducted by François-Xavier Bellamy reached a historically low level (8.48%). "The current right refers to social categories and values that are difficult to oppose frontally Macronian power, but it is best placed oppositions to represent the alternation," he summarized for AFP.