"
I am not part of the apparatus, but I am clearly in the group of the National Rally in the European Parliament
", clarified Thierry Mariani on the Talk-
Le Figaro set,
Monday.
The former LR is not kind to his former political family, which he left for the benefit of Marine Le Pen's party, after 42 years of loyalty to the Republican right.
He does not seem to regret his choice: "
The Republican right, it becomes Macron, it's a kind of pleonasm,
" he smiles.
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More seriously, he continues, "
this party has a real problem, it is being gradually absorbed by LREM and becoming the true auxiliary of the president",
assures the former minister of Nicolas Sarkozy.
On this point, he joined Marion Maréchal, also convinced of the death of LR, she indicated in our columns on Friday.
The MEP drives the point home, even emphasizing the pointlessness today of taking a card from Les Républicains, because
“it is Macron's program
” and that there is “
neither candidate nor program to support
”.
The activists have nothing to gain, continues the former deputy of Vaucluse.
“
The guy who comes with his heart and his convictions, to defend his ideas, what does he defend today at LR?
He defends the ideas of Mr. Macron?
".
For him, neither doubt nor regret, for
"the battle of ideas",
it is at the RN that it happens.
However, does Marine Le Pen's party manage to capture the electorate of the Republicans?
"
Not the elected
", recognizes Thierry Mariani, the latter being "
nevertheless
" on well-established positions.
“
But the activists, yes!
", He affirms, putting forward as proof the testimonies of militants having, like him, made the step to leave LR to join the RN.
The left more to fear than the republican right
With less than two years of the presidential election, “
history is never written
”, professes the MEP, deeming “
interesting
” to see “
what is happening on the left
”.
Certain that anything can happen, he underlines the recent example of Marseille in the municipal elections, when LR refused the outstretched hand of Stéphane Ravier (RN).
"
We saw that the left was not dead,
" he blurted, hammering that "
if the voices are divided
,
we see that the left is passing
."
And, as such, Mariani assures that she fears the left more than the Republican right, with a view to 2022.
Before the presidential election, there is the regional ballot.
If some candidates have already declared themselves, Thierry Mariani maintains the suspense over his candidacy in the Paca region, where he is from and where he has held several terms.
"
I do not know yet, I tell you frankly, I am waiting to see the configuration
", boot in touch the MEP.
Believing that the ballot "
is open for the RN
", he emphasizes above all that in Paca "
a common list is emerging between LREM and LR
", a gift from Christian Estrosi who "
rotten the return of his own party
», He recalls.
And Mariani to add, not without irony: "
I fight the position of Estrosi, but at least it is clear
".
Sweeping an application for departmental, he promises that everything will settle before Christmas.
