Alexandre Chauveau (in Strasbourg), edited by Juliette Moreau Alvarez 08:01, December 01, 2022, modified at 08:02, December 01, 2022

A few days before the election of the new president of the Republicans party, Europe 1 takes you behind the scenes of each candidate in the campaign.

Aurélien Pradié, Bruno Retailleau, Éric Ciotti… The latter is at a frantic pace this week, and notably went to Strasbourg to meet the activists.

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Last week of campaign for the three candidates for the presidency of the Republicans, Éric Ciotti, Bruno Retailleau, Aurélien Pradié.

Europe 1 shows you behind the scenes of each candidate during this home stretch, and this Thursday our microphone was invited alongside Éric Ciotti.

The one who is given favorite of the ballot completes his tour of France this week via Alsace, in Strasbourg, and wants to convince one by one the militants of the party.

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"We must dust off"

At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Éric Ciotti arrived at Strasbourg station.

The night was short for the candidate.

"It's almost the same pace every day, it's the home stretch," says the deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes.

"What motivates me is that the Republicans regain first place, not for themselves, but to straighten out France."

On the Christmas market, Éric Ciotti wandered around, was offered local products and visited the cathedral.

But the high point of his visit was his meeting with activists: a few dozen chairs and above all the portrait of President Nicolas Sarkozy hanging on the wall, a symbol of the right's last presidential victory.

In front of his audience, the elected official chanted his ambitions.

"We have to redo a living party, a large modern party, open to society. We have to dust off, so that we are no longer stunted."

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"The goal is the presidential election of 2027"

At 1 p.m., Éric Ciotti received video support from Laurent Wauquiez, president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

The latter has been alongside the candidate since October.

A support without surprise but regularly repeated and reaffirmed.

"I am grateful to him. It means that we have a method, we have a leader and here is the roadmap. And the objective is the presidential election of 2027."

The candidate left Strasbourg at midday to join Saint-Étienne.

The race against time is on.

By Friday evening, Eric Ciotti will hold three more public meetings.