Marseille (AFP)

Thunderbolt Thursday in the race for the succession of Jean-Claude Gaudin in Marseille: barely a few hours after the withdrawal of Martine Vassal in favor of the deputy Guy Teissier, a second elected LR, Lionel Royer-Perreaut, announced his candidacy.

"I know that there are ongoing agreements with the National Front and I cannot be part of an alliance strategy with the National Front", today National Rally, accused in a video message posted on Facebook M. Royer-Perreaut, easily re-elected Sunday evening at the town hall of the 9th and 10th arrondissements of the city.

Faced with this tearing of the right, the president of the Republicans Christian Jacob called "everyone" to come together, stressing that there was "no question of making an alliance with the National Rally, any more than with the France rebellious. "

Under the law known as PLM (Paris-Lyon-Marseille), the election of the mayor of the second city of France will take place Saturday at the time of the first municipal council of the mandate.

The 101 municipal councilors elected on Sunday evening must choose the mayor's successor, during an absolute majority vote in the first two rounds, then by a qualified majority in the third round. And, in the event of a tie during this third round, the oldest member is elected.

It is in particular this point of settlement which had motivated Martine Vassal, beaten in a sector deemed to be captive for the right after a campaign sealed by the open investigation into suspicions of proxy fraud, to give way to Guy Teissier, 75 , from the ranks of the hard right.

By announcing his withdrawal in favor of Mr. Teissier, Ms. Vassal assured that she could count on the return to the LR fold of dissident Bruno Gilles, whose lists obtained 3 seats of advisers. The two blocks were thus equal, according to the calculations of the president of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône and the metropolis Aix-Marseille, at 42 votes each.

- Old truck -

But Mr. Royer-Perreaut's decision to run for office shatters these calculations, further reinforcing the importance of the elected members of the National Rally (9 seats) on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the elected officials of the list of former PS senator Samia Ghali (8 seats).

Mrs. Vassal had launched a foot call to Mrs. Ghali by recalling that she had withdrawn her list in the 8th sector of the city, where the senator was re-elected Sunday, whereas the Marseilles Spring had on the other hand chosen to remain against her , causing a triangular with the RN.

Not a word in the direction of the RN on the other hand, which could prove to be an embarrassing support if it directed its voices towards Mr. Teissier, an old roadman of Marseilles politics, deputy of Bouches-du-Rhône for 27 years and mayor of sector for 18 years.

Asked by AFP about the position he would adopt in the event of a victory thanks to elected RNs, Mr. Teissier dodged: "It is not written on the ballots", he simply launched.

"I cannot support the candidacy of Guy Teissier because he was not a candidate, he was not elected by the Marseillais to be designated mayor of arrondissement and, better still, mayor of Marseille", his side tackled Mr. Royer-Perreaut, ensuring that he had not had contact with Ms. Vassal before she announced his withdrawal.

Thursday evening, the RN candidate Stéphane Ravier for his part called "for the formation of a + Marseillais Pact + necessary so that the most sectarian far left does not fall on our city".

"This pact can bring together men and women of goodwill, rid of all ideology," he added in a statement, criticizing the programs of Ms. Rubirola and Ms. Vassal., And taking note of the latter's withdrawal in favor by M. Teissier, but without quoting M. Royer-Perreaut.

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