Presidential 2022: Nicolas Sarkozy's support for Emmanuel Macron further weakens the LRs

Former President Nicolas Sarkozy and President Emmanuel Macron at Mont-Valerien, near Paris, June 18, 2020 (Illustration image).

REUTERS - POOL New

Text by: Lucile Gimberg Follow

1 min

The call of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy to rally the right around Emmanuel Macron, if the latter is re-elected, risks further fracturing a weakened political family.

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After the presidential Bérézina where their candidate

Valérie Pécresse only obtained 4.78% of the vote

, the 101 Republican deputies fear for their seats, which will be put into play in the legislative elections next June.

In this context, the first challenge for the party is to avoid that, in the face of adversity, some of these elected representatives approach the majority.

They could do so either via Horizons, the party of Edouard Philippe, a former LR now a member of the Macronian coalition, or via

the initiative of Nicolas Sarkozy

.

Because for the former president, the survival of LR would go through a government agreement with Emmanuel Macron.

This option bristles the right wing of LR.

“ 

We will not rebuild the right by diluting ourselves in macronism

,” tweeted the boss of LR senators, Bruno Retailleau.

@NicolasSarkozy's position is a personal position.

It is not that of our political family.

We will not rebuild the right by diluting ourselves in macronism.

We will rebuild on fidelity to our convictions.

— Bruno Retailleau (@BrunoRetailleau) April 12, 2022

The proponents of this harder line, on the contrary, want the LR boat to turn the helm to the right.

Some, like Eric Ciotti or Laurent Wauquiez, could even try to take the lead.

The current captain Christian Jacob is trying to keep everyone on board despite the storm, until the legislative elections.

In order not to sink, the party will need public financing which depends on the number of parliamentarians elected in June.

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  • France

  • French politics

  • Presidential France 2022

  • Nicolas Sarkozy

  • Valerie Pécresse