François Fillon, the last square of the faithful

On January 30, this right-wing official would have missed for nothing in the world "You have the word" on France 2, whose exceptional guest was François Fillon. Normal, it is a leader of Force Républicaine, the microparty of the former Prime Minister, whose Senator Bruno Retailleau has taken up the torch.

“I experienced this show very badly. I said to myself that he didn't give a damn! When he approved Macron's pension reform, I understood that he was really out of politics and that he was saying this so as not to offend his bosses… ”confides the same. This confession, slipped on condition of anonymity, speaks volumes about the distance that many "fillonists" have taken with their former mentor since the Penelopegate and his departure from the political scene. He is much more a happy - and handsomely paid - senior advisor to the management company Tikehau, than an ex-Prime Minister anxious to make the most of his political heritage and his networks, who comes this Monday to the bar of the criminal court of Paris.

At the same time reconverted in business and president of the Constructors' commission of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), François Fillon has only rare relations with those who were loyal. Its last appearance at Force Républicaine dates back to November 2017.

"I wish he would succeed": @FrancoisFillon supports the action of Emmanuel Macron because, he indicates, "the gravity of the democratic crisis, the fragility of France and Europe in the world today" hui, don't leave me much choice "#VALP pic.twitter.com/ROGX734DMk

Admittedly, he still has a square of unwavering friends: Bruno Retailleau, the communicator Anne Méaux, the former deputy chief of staff at Matignon, Antoine Gosset-Grainville or even the ex-CEO of Axa, Henri de Castries. But several of his former collaborators have merged into technostructure or civil life, such as his former chief of staff Franck Robine, now prefect of Corsica, or his press secretary, Caroline Morard, in the service of Jean Todt, as president of the FIA.

"We can find fault with him, but I remain faithful to the man"

At regular intervals, François Fillon still exchanges with a handful of elected officials who remained close to him, such as the deputy Valérie Boyer or the president of the departmental council of Côtes-d'Armor, Alain Cadec. "We call each other every two months and inevitably we talk about politics," said the man who was invited by François Fillon to the last 24 hours of Le Mans. In almost three years, Fillon has only allowed himself extremely rare political outings: on the sidelines of a trade show last October on Swiss television, when he had treated Emmanuel Macron as a "little player" on his pension reform, or more recently on France 2.

PODCAST. François Fillon, itinerary of a fall (episode 1)

"We can find faults with him, he has them, but I remain faithful to man. In addition, we have a common passion for motorsport! But it is true that he wanted to put a distance between him and the politicians… ”It was not very difficult. Quiet and lonely, the former Prime Minister remains an enigma for many of those who had accompanied him in the adventure of 2017. "Unlike Formula 1, politics is a collective adventure", his former graffiti campaign director, Patrick Stefanini, in his book “Déflagration” (Ed. Robert Laffont). “We were close but without knowing each other. […] We were all totally surprised [ Editor's note: when business broke out ] ”, Valérie Pécresse cautiously writes in his latest work, while Gérard Larcher also displays his distance in his book:“ With François, we have little changed afterwards; we just saw each other at a few ceremonies at the Invalides and at the funeral of the father of a loved one, at the end of January 2019. ”

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Among those who remained faithful to the end, many grumpy fillonists became grumpy. His close friend Jean de Boishue on BFM in January 2018: "If I don't forgive him, it is because his intelligence in life is used to control his faults. François Fillon […] killed François Fillon ”. Serge Grouard in his essay "What I wanted to tell you" (Ed. Corsaire): "I took no pleasure in this campaign. […] We had the right project, but it was just not the right candidate. "

"The last days, it became difficult to support him"

Severe judgments that are not found in the Sarkozy camp. It must be said that, even withdrawn from political life, the ex-president of the Republic continues to receive political all-Paris in his office on rue de Miromesnil. "Sarkozy, whom I don't like, has an obvious human touch," analyzes a fillonist. There is no such cement at Fillon. What united the troops for a long time with him, and in particular among parliamentarians, was the reasonableness of the provinces, the anti-right bling-bling. "

Suffice to say that the revelation of business, including costumes, acted as a game of massacre in the troops. "A certain number of people have been shaken by business," recognizes Senator Sophie Primas, a fillonist from the start during primary school. “The path of conquest was such that it allowed us to go beyond the first revelations. But in the last days, it became difficult to support him wholeheartedly… ”Today, as the trial opens, what remains of fillonism? "Force Républicaine," answers Sophie Primas, who is still a member. That's what's left. And also regrets and bitterness… ”

PODCAST. François Fillon, itinerary of a fall (part 2)