• Eric

    Zemmour

    ,

    who was running for president under the banner of Reconquest!

    was eliminated in the 1st round with around 7% of the vote.

  • However, he succeeded in his bet to win his duel against Valérie Pécresse, who obtained 4% of the votes.

  • He shared his strategy between two rounds by calling on Marine Le Pen to vote, but is looking above all to the legislative elections and intends to establish his presence in the political landscape.

Defeated faces, vague eyes, cries of amazement… It is 8 p.m. at the Maison de la Mutualité in Paris and supporters of Eric Zemmour (Reconquête!) have just discovered the score of their candidate in the first round of the presidential election: he won 7% of the vote, according to the first estimates of Ifop.

A cold shower for the one who repeated again Friday that he would be "qualified for the second round".

The latest polls gave it around 10%, neck and neck with Valérie Pécresse (LR).

“I am flabbergasted.

I don't understand why there hasn't been a republican outburst from France, ”says Marine, 35, Zemmour cap on her head and holding a blue, white, red flag in her hand.

"I did not expect it to be so low", also comments Margot, 20 years old.

Beside him, 19-year-old Hugo looks stunned: “I really thought he could be in the second round”.

“The Le Pen-Macron duo which suited everyone ended up winning,” said Louis, 25.

Alone in the middle of the crowd, Baptiste, 24, looks stunned: “I expected it at 10%!

At the last moment, the votes crystallized around Marine Le Pen, because people were afraid of Mélenchon, ”he analyzes.

“He was soaked in a bath of shit”

In the entourage of the candidate, we do not hide his disappointment: “This does not correspond to what we experienced during this campaign.

There was such fervor, ”comments Jacline Mouraud, former figure of the yellow vests.

“It was hyperdemonization, he was soaked in a bath of shit”, declares for his part Stéphane Ravier, ex RN rallied to Zemmour.

Which scratches Marine Le Pen in passing: “His campaign was the La Redoute catalog, there was something for everyone.

And she hid for 4 months”.

The crowd freezes when Valérie Pécresse speaks.

And when she calls to vote Emmanuel Macron in the second round, it is under a concert of boos and "Well let's see".

But when Eric Zemmour appears on the podium, he is greeted with applause and waving flags.

And no one misses a crumb of the polemicist's speech.

Visibly moved, he begins with a brief mea culpa: "I did not know how to convince enough compatriots", he declares before incriminating "the absence of debate" and daring to "perhaps was also simply my fault”.

"No" replies the crowd in heart, refusing to see him as a fallen hero.

"I won't stop there"

But the Reconquest candidate!

quickly passes to an exercise of autosatisfecit: “We built the largest party of France”, launches it.

“The flags that were raised at the Trocadero will never be lowered again,” he continues.

And if he calls to vote Marine Le Pen to block Emmanuel Macron in the second round, the former journalist insists more on his desire to continue his political career: "I will not stop there", he promises.

For those close to him, the fact that the polemicist is well ahead of Valérie Pécresse, who collected 4% of the votes (according to the first estimates of Ifop), is a first victory.

Because the candidate has never hidden his intention to blow up the right-wing party.

"For us it's the cradle, for her, it's the tomb", comments Stéphane Ravier.

“Our movement is 6 months old, it has 120,000 members and it now represents hope on the right,” he continues.

“Eric Zemmour has succeeded in bringing together people who love France.

We will be the first opposition force if Macron is elected, ”adds Jacline Mouraud.

Both also evoke the next legislative elections: “Reconquest!

will have candidates in all the constituencies,” says Stéphane Ravier.

In the crowd, sympathizers do not intend to retreat either: “Zemmour has just killed LR.

He will recompose the straight lines.

And as Marine Le Pen will not run again in 2027, he has every chance of winning, ”wants to believe Baptiste.

To digest this flood of news, the activists remain in the room for a few more moments.

Before turning on your heels.

“We are super organized for the legislative elections.

We are not going to let go, ”says Marine, her son in her arms.

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Elections

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  • Presidential election 2022

  • Elections

  • Eric Zemmour

  • Reconquest!

    (political party)

  • Results

  • Vote