Louis Aliot announces his candidacy for the presidency of the RN

Europe 1 with AFP 7:22 p.m., July 28, 2022

The mayor of Perpignan Louis Aliot announced his candidacy for the head of the National Rally on Thursday, assuring in L'Opinion that he had the "training" and the "will" necessary to fulfill this function also sought by MEP Jordan Bardella.

"At 52, father, doctor of law, university lecturer then lawyer, I have the training and the will necessary to assume my mandate as mayor and a function of party president", affirmed the current vice-president of the RN in a column in the daily

.

The name known on November 5

To further support his candidacy, Louis Aliot also returned to the role he played in the recent victories of the far-right party.

“With Marine Le Pen and a few others, I contributed to the development of a popular national line which was validated at the ballot box by a large part of the French”, he argued, echoing the score of 42% of the candidate in the second round of the 2022 presidential election, followed by the breakthrough of the RN in the legislative elections.

Until then, the presidency of the RN was only sought by the current interim president and close to Marine Le Pen, Jordan Bardella.

The name of the future president will be known on November 5, during the party congress in Paris.

The winner will succeed Marine Le Pen – who is now dedicated to chairing the group of 89 RN deputies in the National Assembly – and will mark the end of the Le Pen era at the head of the far-right party.

A relative of Jean-Marie Le Pen

Former pen of Jean-Marie Le Pen and a time companion of his daughter Marine whose career he also took off, Louis Aliot is a long-time figure in the party, unlike his 26-year-old competitor, although the latter is today one of the main media and political figures of the RN.

"Experience, tenacity and pugnacity will be essential qualities", advanced Louis Aliot, saying to enter a "healthy competition" against Jordan Bardella, who for some embodies a "new generation" RN.

The two men say they are on the same social and identity line, even if Jordan Bardella has placed more emphasis on this last aspect by campaigning in the south of France, on the land of a certain Eric Zemmour.

"We must rejoice that different talents, but united in their love of France, are offering themselves to our activists," he said.