Difficult to know which feeling dominates these last days in the sarkozysts.
Is it the disappointment to note that François Baroin, the candidate dubbed by their champion, will not engage, in all likelihood, in the presidential battle?
“He was our best candidate!
», Regrets one.
Or is it the anger to see their horse stop in front of the obstacle?
“Baroin is the flute player of the Brothers Grimm.
He played the pipe, we followed him and he took us all into the ravine!
Another enraged.
The doubts remain.
What strategy to adopt now?
If Christian Estrosi did not wait to assert an alliance with Emmanuel Macron, the deputy Guillaume Larrivé assured Wednesday that Nicolas Sarkozy could "be a hypothesis" after having pleaded for weeks for national union with the government ... His colleague from the Alpes-Maritimes, Eric Ciottti hit the nail on the head this Saturday morning on France Info: "Naturally, if Nicolas Sarkozy decided to return to political life, I think he is the one who, spontaneously, would obtain the consent of all those who believe in the strength of the values of the Republic and the republican right.
"
Others are playing for time.
From August, that is to say before Le Figaro announced the withdrawal, not yet confirmed by the person concerned, of François Baroin, the number 2 of LR Guillaume Peltier asked not to broach the subject of the presidential election before the summer of 2021. The former adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy and now mayor of La Baule Franck Louvrier called on the mayor of Troyes to “declare himself as late as possible”.
Like the rest of the party, the Sarkozysts had doubts about the real motivation of François Baroin and did not hesitate to relay those of Nicolas Sarkozy himself.
Which would have assured that if the favorite of the right had "not want in July", he would "not want in September!
"
"If Sarkozy passes his legal tests ..."
Questions formulated aloud such as the first Chiraquian circle of François Baroin is now questioning.
“The ambiguous role of Nicolas Sarkozy is not insignificant in Baroin's choice.
He participated in the confusion, "accuses a member of the inner circle of the Troyen who suspects the former President of the Republic of wanting to" organize chaos "to better pose as a kingmaker.
Even, depending on the outcome of his trials - that of wiretapping is held in October, that of Bygmalion in March - to consider asking for recourse.
READ ALSO>
Presidential 2022: The Republicans will choose their champion ... but later
“As soon as Baroin officially says no, let's bet on the chorus:
Sarko come back!
“, Fears a relative of Senator Bruno Retailleau, who does not hide his Elysian ambitions.
“If Baroin doesn't go, a huge mess will emerge.
And if Sarkozy passes his legal tests, you will see that the eyes will turn to the rue de Miromesnil
(Editor's note: the address of his office)
”, abounds, to congratulate himself, a sarkozyste.
Because "there is no plan B in Baroin", adds another.
For the majority of the faithful of the former head of state, it is out of the question at this stage to follow Xavier Bertrand, not in the odor of sanctity, or Bruno Retailleau who represents, in their eyes, too narrow a segment of the right.
And even less less well-known figures.
“Any acorn will show up.
We must sign the end of recess… ”sighs, with an idea in mind, a fan of Sarkozy.
Does he just want to?
"Sarkozy music goes beyond the orchestra," assures Brice Hortefeux, maintaining the idea that the imperative of a return to the political atmosphere of Nicolas Sarkozy would begin to infuse among LR executives.
One question remains: does the interested party simply want it?
"Political, daily, partisan life, I won't do it anymore," he recalled for the umpteenth time Thursday evening in the Daily show on TMC where he especially marked the spirits by seeming to associate the words "monkeys "And" negroes ".
But at LR, no one seems to believe that he has completely given up on coming back out of the party in "stormy weather", the name of his latest book.
When we ask him if he wants to come back, “frankly, that makes me happy,” he conceded on the set of Yann Barthès.
Political Newsletter
Every day, political news seen by Le Parisien
I'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to enable you to receive our news and commercial offers.
Learn more
All the sarkozysts agree that it is far too early to know the scenario and will wait for the regional ones to pass.
Some, in off, even recognize that Christian Estrosi "may be right" to mention an alliance with Macron but that he "should not have said so soon".
"If we do not have time to find a nugget, we will have to make an alliance", recognizes a relative of the former President of the Republic.
The only certainty: the sarkozysts will not remain out of the game.
"We're still very much alive," one laughs.
The Covid has not caught up with us yet!
"