Presidential 2022: LR activists prefer a congress to a primary to nominate their candidate

LR activists have decided.

On Saturday, during an electronic vote closed at 6 p.m., they chose the 58% congress option against 40.4% for the primary to nominate the right and center candidate for the presidential election.

With a participation rate of nearly 50.28% (out of 79,181 militants) the LR members expressed a clear choice.

If Christian Jacob had not given voting instructions to members, the President of the Republicans had never hidden his reluctance to organize a primary, a source of divisions he believed.

To discover

• Presidential 2022: where are the candidates in the polls?

Above all, the LR survey ordered from Ifop and unveiled on Wednesday evening had given a first indication.

60% of French right-wing respondents and 73% of LR supporters said they were in favor of a congress rather than a primary.

No wonder this Saturday to see this trend confirmed in the polls.

This will therefore be the option of the congress.

If this option retained by the members “

has the advantage of simplicity

”, noted this week Jean Leonetti, the Primary Mr. of the party in his report, it constitutes according to him “

an alternative by default

”.

"This procedure could be perceived as a withdrawal of choice"

between oneself

", not promoting the necessary dynamics of a more open campaign", added the mayor LR of Antibes.

Centrists reassembled

This is also the opinion of the centrists to whom the Republicans closed the door on Wednesday in political office, effectively excluding them from the candidate's nomination congress. "

It is quite incomprehensible as a choice to cut off from the centrists while the Republicans and the centrists government together in the cities, the departments, the regions and in the Senate

", argues a centrist very reassembled. Christian Jacob has an appointment, in principle at the end of September, with the UDI to discuss the parliamentary investitures. Negotiations which now prove to be more complicated, the elected centrists counting on reminding him that they now feel free from any commitment.

Gérard Larcher, supporter of a primary and an opening to the centrists, did not appreciate the choice of the congress either.

"

When you want to create a dynamic around your candidate in electoral matters, it is better to avoid making contact

", continues a senator LR, "

especially when Edouard Philippe comes to poach on the right.

There they are in the process of plumbing the candidate of the right for the presidential election

”.

The modalities of the congress remain to be determined

From now on, the LR management still has to set the terms of the congress, in particular its calendar. A strategic council will meet on Tuesday to “

validate the sponsorship collection form

”, before a political office to be held at LR headquarters on October 6. The congress should take place at the end of December 4, even if some LR elected officials find it far too late fearing to continue to be entangled, still for long weeks, in the procedural quarrels. "

No, it's a date that seems to suit all the candidates,

" Christian Jacob retorted on Saturday, recalling that all of the right-wing candidates were appointed, in the past, on the same date.

There is also the question of the very nature of the congress: a plebiscite congress to win over a single candidate, like Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007, or a tie-breaking congress between several candidates. The first option is preferred by Xavier Bertrand who announced, via his spokesperson Dominique Sassone-Estrosi, agreed to submit to it. The second option is preferred by the other candidates, in particular Valérie Pécresse to Michel Barnier, who do not see why they should withdraw in favor of the president of Hauts-de-France. "

Now it is up to the candidates to formulate it in writing,

" said Christian Jacob, "

if they come to an agreement among themselves, it is their individual freedom. It is not for me to decide,

”added the President of the Republicans.

On this subject, the leadership of the Republicans is divided. If the number 3 Aurélien Pradié hoping to see emerge "

an obvious candidate

" by the vote, others plead for the congress to be open to multiple candidates. To convince LR activists, Xavier Bertrand, who left the party, intends to increase meetings with party members. Many of them are angry with him for having slammed the door of the Republicans in 2017, unlike Michel Barnier, always remained faithful to his political family, or Valérie Pécresse who in recent months had clearly agreed to submit to the common tie-breaker rule set by LR.

The results known, Michel Barnier immediately reacted on Twitter: “

A loyal activist in this family since my first engagement in Savoy, I will confidently ask for his support to bring together and win the presidential election.

"