“I stay true to what I said.
Despite the fiasco of last week, Prime Minister Jean Castex is still in favor of an alliance being able to be formed between now and the first round of the regional elections between the presidential majority and Renaud Muselier.
"I wish", he confides to the Parisian - Today in France.
The turnaround of the outgoing president LR from the southern region did not therefore cool him down. The head of government was on the front line to announce this agreement in Le JDD. And this, after having warned the president LR de Paca. "Muselier wanted a signal at the highest level," said a minister. Before withdrawing, therefore. "A slap in the face to the Prime Minister", pointed out the boss of LR, Christian Jacob. What Jean Castex obviously refutes, preferring to return the responsibility to LR.
Behind the scenes, discussions are continuing with the outgoing LR in Paca and, on the majority side, the boss of LREM deputies Christophe Castaner as well as the Elyos adviser Thierry Solère in the role of negotiators.
"For Sophie Cluzel
(Editor's note: designated head of the LREM list in Paca)
, now there is a problem of trust vis-à-vis Muselier", observes one of her government colleagues.
"Renaud is caught in a conflict of loyalty"
But mistrust is also de rigueur on the right.
At LR headquarters, we recognize that we are not “extremely calm”.
"Renaud is caught in a conflict of loyalty," we observe, hoping that the commitment, torn from the national investiture council will hold.
Understand: no elected LREM, nor Sophie Cluzel, on the list.
This Monday evening, several sources assured that it was the chosen option, with 15% to 20% of representatives of the majority (against 30% in the initial agreement). Graig Monetti, chief of staff to Frédérique Vidal, the Minister of Higher Education, who is also deputy mayor of Nice, could appear on the list in an eligible position. "Nothing is acted", tempers a Walker.
A certainty, within the majority, the presence of Cluzel on the list, which had however been announced by Castex, is not a casus belli. Even if some denounce the treatment inflicted on the Secretary of State. "We are all humiliated," laments an LREM deputy. As a way to build up the pressure, the Walkers keep reminding them of being able to submit a list if circumstances require. Will the suspense last until the last minute or will it be lifted before the end of this week? Until then, loose a source close to the negotiations, "we are in the permanent stop-and-go".
