The right has long hesitated on its candidate, the party having long hoped, in vain, to convince the mayor of Troyes François Baroin to stand.

At the start of 2021, several names circulated: the regional presidents Xavier Bertrand and Valérie Pécresse, both parties from LR, the patron of senators Bruno Retailleau, even the former president of LR Laurent Wauquiez ...

On March 25, Xavier Bertrand goes on a scout and formalizes his candidacy.

"Totally determined", the president of Hauts-de-France then excludes participating in any primary of his former party while the polls credit him with a slight advantage on the right.

The idea of ​​lining up without a fight goes badly among his potential rivals who fear that Xavier Bertrand will increase his lead.

The past regional, Valérie Pécresse, comfortably renewed at the head of Ile-de-France, announces her candidacy on July 23 by agreeing to submit to the LR tiebreaker, followed three days later by Philippe Juvin, LR mayor of the Garenne-Colombes and head of emergency at the Parisian hospital Georges-Pompidou.

At the end of August, the pace picked up: Eric Ciotti, deputy for Alpes-Maritimes, then Michel Barnier, ex-EU negotiator for Brexit, lined up on the 26th, while Laurent Wauquiez gave up.

The next day Bruno Retailleau also throws in the towel.

The five LR candidates just after the debate on CNEWS and Europe 1 channels, in Paris on November 21, 2021 JULIEN DE ROSA AFP / Archives

The actors are in place, with a big problem: how to get out of the deadly duel between the LR candidates on the one hand, and Xavier Bertrand on the other?

On September 10, the five candidates are invited to present their program to the parliamentary days of Nîmes: Xavier Bertrand, who has not widened the gap in the polls, accepts and offers his competitors a pact of "dialogue".

At the same time, the LR members decide: it will be they alone who will nominate their candidates, by a congress on December 4.

"Cards"

Xavier Bertrand must make a choice: go to primary, despite the hostility of certain activists who still reproach him for his departure, or go it alone at the risk of appearing as the divisor.

On October 11 on TF1, he solemnly announced: "I will participate in the congress".

No way, however, he explains the next day to LR senators, to take his card back to the party.

On October 15, however, he resolved to do so, a day after Valérie Pécresse.

Six candidates are then in the running, the businessman Denis Payre (who joined LR on the occasion) having declared himself.

He will have to throw in the towel at the beginning of November, for lack of having gathered the required 250 sponsorships.

For the remaining five, this is a first opportunity to show his muscles: Michel Barnier claims 702 sponsorships, Xavier Bertrand 427, Eric Ciotti 400 ... Valérie Pécresse claims to have "the 500 sponsorships required for the presidential election".

The race for forecasts is going well, some saying that the members value a "loyalty bonus" - Michel Barnier is emerging as the favorite.

LR candidates prepare for a debate on BFMTV, in Paris, November 14, 2021 Thomas SAMSON AFP / Archives

The debates temper the forecasts, the negotiator for Brexit appearing less comfortable than his rivals.

Broken into the exercise, Xavier Betrrand who plays the rally and Valérie Pécresse the pugnacity unfold their program without hindrance with a few muffled pikes to their rival.

The debates bring out of the shadows Eric Ciotti, whose radical speech seems likely to seduce the referral electorate, and to a lesser extent Philippe Juvin that the members are discovering.

But the time has come for unity, with a family photo in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises for the 51 years since the death of General de Gaulle.

Between two debates, the candidates garner support and increase their trips as the deadline approaches.

At 10 o'clock in the morning or in the evening, in the village hall or by zoom, everyone repeats their program and their well-run formulas.

Because another race is being played behind the scenes: that of the "cards", to get as many voters as possible to join before the deadline of November 16.

The party will have seen the number of its members double since September, to nearly 150,000.

The President of the Republicans (LR) Christian Jacob (in the center), surrounded by (from the left) Eric Ciotti, Valérie Pécresse, Michel Barnier and Xavier Bertrand, in front of the tomb of Charles de Gaulle, on the occasion of the commemoration of the death of the general, Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, on November 9, 2021 François NASCIMBENI AFP / Archives

An increase difficult to interpret: for whom will the new ones vote?

Will their irruption dilute the "loyalty bonus" of the elders?

The name of the winner will be announced on Saturday around 2:30 p.m.

© 2021 AFP