A sign of excitement? La République en Marche (LREM) is mounting the pressure on Cédric Villani, who has split up against Benjamin Griveaux in Paris. According to information from RTL, the tone has changed somewhat, in the corridors of the HQ, where it is now argued that if he files his lists, Villani will have to take the door, willingly or forced.
A position that the party leadership refuses to carry publicly, sticking to its official line: "What is the choice made by Cédric Villani? Is it in or outside of the running Republic? It is up to him to take responsibility by answering this question. Benjamin Griveaux sticks to the outstretched hand posture, denying any threat of exclusion. “I have always opened my arms and I will continue to do so. The change, in Paris, will only pass by the gathering ”, he reacts, with the Parisian.
The Villani case internally divides
In reality, the strategy to be adopted in the face of the Villani case is not unanimous, within the Executive Office of the party. It's been a while since the liberties taken by the mathematician, LREM deputy from Essonne, warmed up the Walkers. “In politics, you always have to be very clear. We are inside or we are outside. You are part of a movement or not. You do not put yourself on the sidelines by saying: I am Macronism in its purity. Macronism, we are the ones who created it! Annoys a founder of the movement, close to Griveaux. But it is a question of not saying it too loudly, so as not to undermine the last hopes of rallying and, above all, not to give Villani the dynamics of an expiatory victim.
Alas, here it transpires. Behind the scenes, concerns are becoming more pressing as the ballot approaches. Concerns increased by the publication of a survey, in "Le Journal du dimanche", giving Griveaux in third position behind Anne Hidalgo (PS) and Rachida Dati (LR). "When you start to cut heads, it's because you are politically weak," observes a member of the Executive Office. When you are weak, you blame others, you ask for exclusions and, in general, it makes things worse. "
Eyes now on the Elysée
LREM still does not have the key, eyes turn to the Elysée. "The problems are solved!" At the end of a moment, it is necessary to whistle the end of the recess, annoys a Walker, favorable to an intervention of the president. "The day he puts his finger in there, people will say that he meddles in what does not concern him. He can't do it, evacuates an LREM executive, who admits: I don't know how the end of recess is whistled ... "As a long-distance answer, this rhetorical question, launched this Wednesday evening at the microphone of RTL by Cédric Villani: "Do you think I'm going to give up? "
