• Eric Ciotti led the first round of Congress The Republicans with 25.59% of the vote.

  • The deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes will face in the second round Valérie Pécresse (25%), who received the support of the three defeated candidates.

  • The name of the candidate from the right and the center will be known early Saturday afternoon.

At the headquarters of the Republicans, this Thursday afternoon in Paris, things are agitated. Christian Jacob is desired. The boss of the Republicans is expected for the announcement of the results of the first round of Congress, which must designate the champion of the right in the 2022 presidential election. Activists and journalists are impatient, their eyes on their phones. There was no poll, no information filtered, everyone is in the fog. "That's it, the elevator is coming! "

Accompanied by the movement's executives, Christian Jacob cuts through the small crowd to climb onto the platform.

The surprise to come can already be read on the contorted faces.

President LR welcomes "the very beautiful image of the rally given" during this campaign and the participation rate of nearly 90%.

At his side, the secretary general of the party, Aurélien Pradié, has his eyes in the dark.

The explosion arrives: Eric Ciotti is in the lead (25.59%) and qualifies for the second round.

The deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes will be opposed to Valérie Pécresse.

Long favored in the poll, Michel Barnier (23.96%) and Xavier Bertrand (22.36%) fall by the wayside.

"I have never left you"

“A few weeks ago, few commentators would have bet on this result. It shows that strength of will, courage and clarity always triumph ”, assures Eric Ciotti after his victory. "I am the only one able to beat Macron by bringing together all the people of the right [...] I have never left you", launches the finalist to the members of his party, in a tackle to his competitor, who had slammed the door of the movement in 2019.

The deputy, holding a hard right, recalled that he was the only candidate not to have voted Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the 2017 presidential election against Marine Le Pen. He is the only one, too, to have repeated that he would vote Eric Zemmour in the event of a duel against the outgoing president next April. This support for the former columnist had aroused unease among many LR executives and marginalized his candidacy while the right tried to differentiate itself from Eric Zemmour. "We have never despised Eric Ciotti, we have always taken him seriously, sweeps Daniel Fasquelle, the party's treasurer and support for Michel Barnier. His score shows that it will be necessary to provide clear answers on security and immigration. But all the sensitivities will have to be found in the candidate nominated by the militants on Saturday. "

Valérie Pécresse garners support

Because Eric Ciotti is far from having won.

In the wake of the results, Philippe Juvin, Michel Barnier and Xavier Bertrand gave their support to Valérie Pécresse.

“This result confirms the credibility of his project, of its seriousness.

It is she who has the most ability to bring together the right and the center-right.

And therefore to bring the republican right back to power, ”boasts Eric Pauget, deputy for the Alpes-Maritimes and support for the candidate.

From her HQ, the president of Ile-de-France also promises the gathering.

“We will win united.

We will govern united […] I am the only one able to beat Emmanuel Macron ”.

“The Republicans want to kick Macron out of the Elysee Palace, they chose the best fighters, those who stood out during the debates. In view of the rallies, the outcome of the second round seems favorable to Pécresse, but Ciotti's score shows that his line will have to weigh for the right to win in 2022 ”, argues LR deputy Julien Aubert, who supported him in the first round. History is repeating itself: Eric Ciotti seems a little alone for these last hours of the campaign. “It's a duel: the elite of the party, the elected officials, against the militant base. Because Ciotti speaks directly to the members to make win a clear right, the right RPR, which made win Sarkozy in 2007 ”, replies Paul Gallard, of the Young people with Ciotti.

The latter is not, moreover, completely isolated.

The MP received a word of support on Twitter.

“Happy, dear Eric, to see our ideas so widely shared by LR activists.

The RPR is not dead ”.

A word signed with a Z, that of Eric Zemmour.

Politics

Presidential 2022: “We are the biggest federation of the party!

»Young LR coveted by nomination contestants

Politics

Presidential 2022: Last debate this Tuesday evening, the LR candidate appointed on Saturday

  • Valerie Pécresse

  • Eric Ciotti

  • The Republicans (LR)

  • Presidential election 2022

  • Michel barnier

  • Xavier Bertrand

  • 3 comments

  • 0 share

    • Share on Messenger

    • Share on Facebook

    • Share on twitter

    • Share on Flipboard

    • Share on Pinterest

    • Share on Linkedin

    • Send by Mail

  • To safeguard

  • A fault ?

  • To print