The regional will they turn to torture for the Republicans?
After the psychodrama created by the controversial agreement between Renaud Muselier, president (LR) of Paca, and LREM, many fear that other LR candidates will start making agreements with the presidential majority the day after the first round, the June 20.
And this, to the detriment of the national logic of Christian Jacob's party, which is keen to keep its status as "first opponent" alive to Emmanuel Macron.
"Paca is a cluster bomb", warns us a deputy (LR) from the South who already warns against the second round: with LREM it will be necessary to "seal".
Understand: make sure that this controversial agreement does not fall short.
The risk exists, depending on regional configurations.
Some candidates have claimed that they would maintain their list like Laurent Wauquiez, Valérie Pécresse or Xavier Bertrand.
Unthinkable for these presidential contenders to do otherwise.
But the others?
“There is no doctrine on the subject at LR.
So situations as in Paca, we can find in several regions, “fears a strategist from the right.
PODCAST.
Regional in PACA: the psychodrama that fractures the right a little more
The boss of Grand-Est, Jean Rottner, is regularly cited. However, he swore a few days ago that there would be no alliance, while the LREM list can handicap him in the second round. "There is little chance that it will merge, but it will be necessary to look at the local climate ...", slips an elected representative of the region, for whom everything is still possible. Also outgoing (LR) in Pays-de-la-Loire but with a weak lead in the 1st round in the polls, Christelle Morancais advance masked. One of his relatives promises us that there will be "no alliance". But will it be able to keep the region won in 2015 by Senator Bruno Retailleau, without an agreement? Locally, the LR are wondering: "She has given instructions not to type François de Rugy
(Editor's note: head of the LREM list)
", we are told. Complete fog.
"It's at the end of the fair that we count the dung"
In New Aquitaine, the Bordeaux leader Nicolas Florian also ensures that there will be "no alliance".
Vaccinated, perhaps, by the loss of the town hall of Bordeaux… after an agreement with LREM.
The future is more uncertain in Center Val-de-Loire.
The list (LR) of deputy Nicolas Forissier does not seem to be in a strong position, and the person concerned wants at all costs to dislodge the left as to prevent a victory for the RN.
"It is at the end of the fair that we count the dung", he repeats to us, refusing to speak "agreement" before the first round.
But will he resist the calls from the foot of Minister MoDem-LREM Marc Fesneau, given a few points in front of him, with whom LR had topé in 2015?
The party had given him instructions only until the first round. "If we still ally with LREM to keep our regions, or worse, to gain some, it will be over by 2022," sighs a Republican executive. Keep its bastions, or take them away from the left with its former centrist allies ... without ruining its chances of shining by 2022? A new insoluble equation and a few more headaches for the right-wing family.
