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François Asselineau widely re-elected head of the UPR

2020-07-11T20:52:27.609Z


Targeted by a preliminary investigation for alleged acts of sexual harassment on two of his former collaborators, the cantor of Frexit has not lost the confidence of his activists.


François Asselineau can breathe. He will not see the party he founded thirteen years ago escape him. Convened urgently, the congress of the Republican People's Union (UPR) has just, after three full days of voting, reelect it comfortably at its head, this Saturday. The approximately 12,743 members with current contributions - compared to nearly 25,000 in 2017 - were 64% to express themselves, giving it 74.3% once again their confidence.

Read also: The UPR wants to land its leader François Asselineau

If it is not a surprise, this result is a pocket of oxygen for the former presidential candidate after long months of apnea. Suspected of sexual harassment of two of his former collaborators, the cantor of a departure from France from the European Union saw, in full confinement, an overwhelming number of executives and leaders of the movement dissociate themselves from his presidency. To claim his resignation in a letter of April 18 revealed by Le Figaro .

The spread of suspicion in the press, like the filing of two complaints against the head of the UPR giving rise to the opening of a preliminary investigation by the Paris prosecutor's office, plunged the party into the most serious crisis of his history. The UPR becoming hostage to a tug of war, political and legal, between its president and the members of its national office, described as "felons" and "putschists" by François Asselineau.

In order to regain control of his party, the president of the UPR precipitated the organization of a Congress. Counting on its incomparable notoriety among its members to win a new mandate at the head of the movement, like a renewed management team at its side. A bet won, despite a summary appeal from part of its executives against the organization of the ballot. A ballot in which no member of the national office ultimately wished to run at the top of the list.

Read also: UPR: Asselineau, accused of harassment, convenes a conference

Proof of the waning of his authority, the hitherto undisputed leader of the UPR, however, had to face two dissident candidates in front of him. Philippe Conte, 54, business manager, who went through the trendy socialist party Chevènement, which is now close to “Michel Onfray's initiative” which won 1,348 votes . And Sylvain Fontaine, 55, an executive in a public company, member of the UPR since 2016 which recorded 392 votes. If the first intended to break with the presidential logic of François Asselineau, preferring to obtain a "Frexit" by negotiating the promise of a referendum with other political forces, the second aspired more modestly to "democratize the movement and put an end to power despotique ” currently in place.

François Asselineau, no more than last April, did not wish to answer our questions. His entourage defended his candidacy as that of "continuity in what is the DNA of the UPR: a program whose essential means is Frexit. As well as an overhaul of internal operations in the light of experiences gained in recent months ... "

Read also: “Frexit” supporters and sovereignists celebrated Brexit

Confirmed at the head of his party, the sovereignist leader, however, risks seeing his movement emptied of a large part of its members, hitherto among the most active: "If François Asselineau wins, all the former members of the national office, all people who understand the scam will pull themselves out and leave him an empty shell, bet, Friday evening, a former leader. If, on the contrary, another candidate wins, all the activists loyal to Asselineau will suddenly leave. " A major handicap for François Asselineau, adding to the complaints against him, in view of a new candidacy for president in 2022.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-07-11

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