The entourage of Marine Le Pen had warned journalists upstream: the president of the National Rally would not speak "before the final results of Paca" in this second round of regional.
Finally, she didn't have to wait.
In the only region where the RN still had a real hope of regional conquest, the gap was quickly clear and final in favor of outgoing president (LR) Renaud Muselier.
From 8:20 pm, this Sunday, June 27, the head of the RN did not pretend to believe in it, quickly recognizing, in a short speech, that "this evening we will not take a region".
Denouncing “unnatural alliances” on the part of the outgoing presidents, she blamed this poor performance for a record abstention, denouncing a “disastrous and erratic organization of the ballots by the Ministry of the Interior” as well as 'a "disenchantment with the interim elections".
Enough to separate as much as possible the teachings of the regional from those of the presidential election.
"The big loser tonight is democracy," said Sébastien Chenu, defeated in Hauts-de-France.
VIDEO.
Regional 2021: despite the failure of the RN, Marine Le Pen gives "appointment with the French" to "build alternation"
Friday, on France Info, Marine Le Pen had already taken care to specify that it would be necessary to "decorrelate these regional elections from the presidential election", because "it is not the same electoral perimeter" and that "it is not is also not the same stake ”.
Reassured by encouraging polls, Marine Le Pen had nevertheless been the first to make the link between local and national deadlines.
"There is no more hope and momentum for 2022"
Thus, on France Inter, on April 27, she judged that "from the dynamics of the regional will result that of the presidential election".
"The presidential election would be helped by a victory in the regional, it would be the proof that we are able to exceed the RN and to make national unity", also estimated the vice-president Jordan Bardella.
“If we don't have a region, it will be a real disappointment.
We will say the opposite, but it's true… ”breathed an RN executive, ten days before the first lap.
While it had 358 regional councilors elected in 2015, the RN should have around 200, according to internal estimates.
A year ago, at the end of the municipal elections, the party had already lost 44% of its municipal councilors… Enough to weaken Marine Le Pen internally, a week before a Congress in Perpignan which should mark the start of the campaign presidential.
Already, the drop in morale is starting to be felt among the troops, reminiscent of the post-2017 period.
Read alsoRegional: after the slap, it's time for introspection for the RN
“There is a lack of motivation among our voters which is very obvious.
There is no longer the hope and the dynamic for 2022 ", grimaces an elected official who compares with the historical record in percentage that the party had obtained during the regional meetings in 2015:" In 2015, people did not vote for us saying to themselves:
the FN has a great project for TER and high schools
.
They were planning on the presidential election, it was part of a global dynamic.
This is no longer the case.
"
"Smooth and consensual"
In a corporalized party, not sure that doubts are expressed openly.
But they are already outcropping.
In the interval, the restricted office of the RN in Deux-Sèvres resigned, regretting a "losing strategy" both local, with the heads of the list parachuted into departments, and national, with a party become "smooth" and “consensual”.
“The French have deserted the ballot box.
Like the others, the RN does not cause any enthusiasm.
A missed opportunity… ”, sighed Sunday evening on Twitter the mayor of Béziers, Robert Ménard.
Read alsoRegional elections 2021: discover the results in your municipality
Consolation prize for Marine Le Pen: with 59.7% of the votes, she was elected departmental councilor of Pas-de-Calais with her partner Steeve Briois. What remind Emmanuel Macron, whose party also fails, that at least it keeps a local anchoring. It remains to be seen whether this is sufficient in the eyes of his constituents.