The ex-LR president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (Paca) region Renaud Muselier has joined the Renaissance presidential party, the Region told AFP on Tuesday, confirming information from the regional daily newspapers
La Provence
and
Var Matin
.
Renaud Muselier had already called for voting for Emmanuel Macron in the presidential election in February, after leaving Les Républicains in November 2021, accusing the party of drifting to the far right.
"
He made the choice to join the Renaissance party
," another source within Mr. Muselier's entourage told AFP, indicating that he would be part of the executive office of this formation.
“
He had let it be known that he would not remain absent from the national scene, that he was watching the political recomposition after the presidential election with great attention
,” continued this source.
Read alsoRenaud Muselier: “The future of the right goes through gathering and addition”
In October, Renaud Muselier denounced "
a race to the far right
" of his former LR party and openly criticized the party's presidential candidate Éric Ciotti, arguing that he had established a "
political system of pressure and threats
in the Alpes-Maritimes.
Muselier prefers Renaissance to Horizons
He had won the presidency of the Region in June 2021 by largely beating the RN candidate Thierry Mariani, himself a former member of the Republicans.
Renaud Muselier had set two criteria for his choice of party: "
no compromise with the extremes and no presidential stable
", supported his entourage.
Read alsoMuselier-Ciotti open war against the backdrop of hostilities between LR and Macronie
He thus preferred Renaissance to Horizons, the party of Édouard Philippe, also a member of the presidential majority.
Within Renaissance, Renaud Muselier wishes "
to make the voice of the territories heard and to defend the interests, the priorities of his region
" but "
he does not want to enter into a national debate
".
Mr. Muselier had also launched in July a regional party called "
Cap on the future - Our territories first
", calling for the gathering of all "
the democratic and republican arc
" after legislative elections where the far right has won half of the constituencies in this region of southern France.
This party “
continues to exist
”, assured those around him.