Alexandre Chauveau, edited by Thibault Nadal 7:36 p.m., April 26, 2022

The Republicans, weakened by their bitter defeat in the presidential election, reaffirmed their "independence" on Tuesday against Emmanuel Macron, whom some might be tempted to join, even if some elected officials, worried about their survival, plead for cooperation, such as Philippe Juvin or Damien Abad.

This Tuesday morning, the executives of the Republicans had an appointment for a strategic council.

The party has been weakened since the heavy defeat of Valérie Pécresse.

During this "meeting", the elected officials brought out a text which reaffirms independence.

Clearly, between LR and the Macron camp, it will be necessary to choose.

A line that is not unanimous, since several executives like Damien Abad and Philippe Juvin refused to sign.

No exclusions envisaged for the moment 

This vote continues to maintain the vagueness on the future of the right.

And if the party reaffirms its line: Neither Macron nor Le Pen.

Uncertainty remains as to the fate reserved for elected officials in favor of a rapprochement with Emmanuel Macron.

Christian Jacob refuses for the moment to consider any exclusion.

"There have always been different sensitivities", defends the president of the party, for whom LR remains a government party.

"We are not the far left and rebellious France, we are not the National Front, that is to say, we are not there to organize the revolution and to block the country. So we will be force of proposal and when texts go in the right direction, we are able to vote for them, but in complete independence", he explains.

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Twenty elected officials hesitate on the way forward

Christian Jacob, who also recalls that each candidate invested by LR will undertake to sit in the group of Republicans in the Assembly.

A commitment supposed to protect the party from potential future defections, but which struggles to dispel doubts.

Damien Abad, Philippe Juvin and around twenty other elected officials are always tempted to take the plunge, either by benefiting from the explicit support of En Marche, or by keeping the LR label, but by demonstrating reinforced cooperation with the future majority.