For Eric Zemmour, the fear of great stunting

• In December 2021, Eric Zemmour launched his Reconquest movement in the midst of electoral turmoil. 

• But a year later, the euphoria of the campaign has subsided after two electoral failures in the presidential and legislative elections. 

• The former Cnews columnist, who finds his supporters this Sunday in Paris for the 1 year of his party, is now struggling to exist politically. 

In a deafening din, Eric Zemmour splits the crowd.

At the podium, the ex-editorialist of Cnews electrifies his thousands of supporters by castigating journalists and political opponents.

Including Emmanuel Macron, this “plastic dummy” whom he already imagines beating in the second round of the presidential election.

Driven by flattering polls, the identity candidate succeeded, on December 5, 2021, in his political transformation in Villepinte by launching his Reconquest movement for his first major campaign meeting. 

But a year later, when reuniting with his supporters this Sunday at the Palais des Sports in Paris, the euphoria subsided.

Swept away in the first round of the presidential election (7%) and without a single elected member of the National Assembly, Eric Zemmour failed in his plan to unite the rights.

And for Reconquest, it is now the question of survival that is at stake.

Reconquest counts its troops

First there was to digest, as we said, the slaps in the presidential and legislative elections.

After months of fervor and hope, like a long hangover difficult to evacuate.

“There was a lot of disappointment because we saw ourselves higher.

We had to take a step back, the time to reflect.

I saw Zemmour after the legislative elections, he was in bad spirits.

But for the militant base, the blow was perhaps harder…”, recognizes a former executive of the campaign.

This is also one of the objectives of this Sunday's meeting: to rekindle the flame.

Because if the movement claims a little more than 130,000 memberships, around 55,000 arrive at the end of the deadline in December.

The fear of demobilization is all the stronger since only 32,000 people took part in the internal vote on the change in the party's statutes in September.

“There was this fear of discouragement this summer, but I think it's behind us, the Zemmour hype is still there, sweeps Stanislas Rigault, president of Generation Z and member of the political office.

We will remain very active in getting people to join and re-join, with the meeting on Sunday, but also by rotating in the federations, ”he adds, while the executives are increasing the number of public meetings on the territory.

Internal bickering

But at the highest level of the party too, the link has sometimes frayed.

If Marion Maréchal, Guillaume Peltier, Nicolas Bay or Stéphane Ravier are there, others have on the other hand distanced themselves, such as the former "yellow vests" Jacline Mouraud and Benjamin Cauchy, or other executives such as Jean Messiha, sometimes for bouncing on TV shows.

Gilbert Collard flew into a rage after losing the honorary presidency, and MEP (ex RN) Jérôme Rivière, disappointed with the reorganization of the party, let it be known that he was no more than a " mere militant.

According to the

, around thirty departmental coordinators would also have taken to their heels in September.

A thinning all the more visible that at the same time, the National Rally has the wind in its sails, with its 89 elected members in the Assembly.

“After two electoral failures, Reconquest is a movement in serious crisis, with a national leadership in the process of disappearing.

In the territories, some people contact us to work with us.

We will judge on a case by case basis.

Finally … I'm not talking about the Collards, the Rivières, those who betrayed by getting on the raft of the Medusa and who will stay there, ”laughs Gilles Pennelle, director general of the RN.

Always controversy

Despite the difficulties, within Reconquest, we insist on the youth of the movement, recalling that Eric Zemmour came in fourth position in the presidential election, ahead of the candidates of the Republicans and the Socialist Party, historical parties.

“It would be a lie to say that we don't care about having no deputy.

Our objective is to exist politically.

But I believe that we have been audible in recent weeks on the question of the school or the

 , ”assures Stanislas Rigault.

“Having no deputy is a handicap.

But we managed to occupy the political space by leading the cultural battle, in particular by putting the term Francocide in the debate, ”adds a former spokesperson.

Claiming "brilliance" to exist, the party however found itself at the heart of a controversy over the Lola affair.

Eric Zemmour and his supporters have been accused of political recovery after buying domain names associated with the teenager's death.

“I was really embarrassed, it was archi-brutal, indefensible, a real rookie mistake…”, blows this former executive, still close to the party.

The controversy recalled the multiple controversies that punctuated the presidential campaign, and probably weakened the identity candidate.

While Eric Zemmour is refining the writing of a new book, Reconquête multiplies the initiatives, between militant training and the launch of an internal review.

Enough to kill time while waiting for the next election.

The Europeans, in May 2024. 

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  (political party)

• Guillaume Peltier

• National Rally (RN)

• Marion Maréchal-Le Pen