Arrived second in the primary of the right for the presidential election, Mr. Ciotti had indicated Sunday that he was "ready to take up the challenge" of the election to the presidency of the party, but without his decision being "totally made ".
"Yes I will be a candidate for the presidency of the Republicans", he declared on Tuesday, explaining that if he made this decision in two days, "it is to speed up the calendar".
The former president of the Departmental Council of the Alpes-Maritimes specified in Nice-Matin that he is working on the constitution of a rallying team "which will guarantee, tomorrow, the unity of our political family".
"To redress our country, he added in the daily, there is only one way: that of reform. It is this path that I wanted to clear during the congress of Republicans. Success unexpected that I obtained during this election encourages me to go further".
The first round of the election for the presidency of LR will take place electronically from December 3 at 6 p.m. to December 4 at 6 p.m. and, if no candidate obtains the majority of the votes cast, a second round will be organized on December 10 and 11. december.
Faced with Mr. Ciotti, the number 2 of the party Aurélien Pradié, the MEP François-Xavier Bellamy or the former European Commissioner Michel Barnier have expressed their interest in the presidency of LR.
Annie Genevard, current interim president after the departure of Christian Jacob, also indicated that she did not rule out running as a candidate.
Conversely, the president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region Laurent Wauquiez, like that of Hauts-de-France Xavier Bertrand, gave up running for the post.
Eric Ciotti, 56, former 1st deputy mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi now rallied to the macronie and ex-president of the Alpes-Maritimes departmental council, was elected on June 19 for a 4th term as deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes.
© 2022 AFP