Europe 1 with AFP 5:57 p.m., February 23, 2022
After Nicolas Bay joined Éric Zemmour, eleven of the 15 RN regional advisers left the far-right group of the Normandy regional council to form a new one.
However, the elected officials affirmed that they will continue to support Marine Le Pen for the first round of the presidential election.
Eleven RN regional councilors left the group of 15 far-right elected officials chaired by Nicolas Bay in the Normandy region, after the MEP rallied to Éric Zemmour, according to a press release from the elected officials who split.
"On Tuesday February 15, we learned, through social networks, that Nicolas Bay had decided, without consulting us or even informing us, to no longer support Marine Le Pen" for the presidential election, deplore the regional councilors signatories.
Guillaume Pennelle new RN president on the Normandy council
Consequently, these elected RNs have decided to "leave the regional group of Nicolas Bay and reconstitute a new one" which remains "affiliated to the National Rally", before "reaffirming our respect for the word given to Marine Le Pen and supporting clearly his candidacy", add the elected representatives of the new "national gathering group".
The eleven elected officials "decided unanimously to appoint Guillaume Pennelle as their president", according to the press release.
As a reminder, Nicolas Bay had announced on February 15 that he wanted to exchange with the executives of the RN, which had led to his suspension from the party, which accused him of providing information to Éric Zemmour.
After this military pass, he decided to paint the door of the door of the National Rally and to join the candidate of Reconquest.