Frédéric Michel (in Nice), edited by Solène Leroux 4:34 p.m., April 11, 2022

In the Alpes-Maritimes, a department stronghold of the historic right, Les Républicains and Valérie Pécresse did not exceed 5% of the votes cast, while Nicolas Sarkozy had made very big scores there in 2007 and 2012. Meeting in Nice with former activists from the party founded by the former president who preferred to vote for Emmanuel Macron.

A real electoral slap for the Republicans.

The first round of the presidential election and the results of Valérie Pécresse, below 5% of the votes cast, are very well illustrated by the poor score achieved in the Alpes-Maritimes.

A department yet historical stronghold of the right, Nicolas Sarkozy had made very big scores there in 2007 and 2012. However, barely 5% of voters chose Valérie Pécresse on Sunday.

Meeting in Nice with former Republican activists who this time preferred to vote for Emmanuel Macron.

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For many former members or supporters, like Céline, the fall of the LR house was programmed.

"Today, I find myself more at Macron than at Pécresse, and the score proves me right. Nicolas [Sarkozy] did well not to support her and I now expect him to support Macron, that he has a little word", she hopes at the microphone of Europe 1.

The failure of Pécresse, also that of Ciotti?

In disagreement with the very right turn taken by his political family, and in particular Éric Ciotti, Hervé, who was inserted in the RPR, the UMP and the Republicans, followed the line of Christian Estrosi, support of Emmanuel Macron.

"Mr. Ciotti still has fairly extremist ideas and it may be difficult to convince right-wing people like us, who have remained with real values, both right-wing and reasonable," he explains.

The failure of Valérie Pécresse, is it also the failure of Éric Ciotti?

The Niçois thinks so, "because when we call in the second round to want to vote Éric Zemmour, I think we can only reap what we sow".

According to him, "Mr. Macron has managed to bring together both the right and the left": "Today, we are more alike with him, and behind this team which is still made up of right-wing people."

Outgoing President Emmanuel Macron also comes first in Nice, as well as in the two other major cities of the department, Cannes and Antibes, yet administered by LR mayors.