What if he was the champion of the right for 2027? After several months away from the political scene, Laurent Wauquiez made his comeback in an interview with Le Point. "I chose to take a step back, this does not only apply to pensions, but more broadly because I think we have to put everything back on track," explains the former boss of the LR.
"In this collapsing political universe, we have a duty to propose something else. However, I did not shy away from pensions, "adds the potential LR candidate for the next presidential election, who ensures to have "clearly given (his) position". The president of the region Aura had indicated during his vows at the end of January that the reform was "not the one" he would have made, while invoking a "principle of responsibility" consisting of "not opposing".
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And to start this return, what better than a little mea culpa? "Yes, I have scars. I learned what the loneliness of failure is... I learned the importance of listening and humility. This is fundamental when you want to take care of the destiny of a country, "recognizes the president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, who reveals half-heartedly his national ambition. He also admits to having "allowed himself to be damaged, dragged down by mediocre politics, by political confrontation and the play of small sentences... »
Macron 'has not stopped decadence'
The former president of LR, who left office after the rout of the right in the 2019 European elections (8.5% of the vote) assures him: "I learned to question myself, and it did me a lot of good".
To succeed in his return, in a right that has crumbled as the debates around the pension reform progressed, Laurent Wauquiez instead targeted voters who left to join the presidential camp. Acknowledging that Emmanuel Macron had "achieved things", the former Minister of Higher Education indicates that the president "has not stopped decadence".
.@LaurentWauquiez comes out of the silence in a big interview with the "Point", on newsstands Thursday.
Read the excerpts in preview ➡️ https://t.co/ItFaUFkTWn@NathalieSchuck @valerietoranian pic.twitter.com/6Atmbv5Dqo
— Le Point (@LePoint) May 9, 2023
Wishing to be "fair" on the foreign policy of the France, Laurent Wauquiez believes that Emmanuel Macron has "succeeded in embodying the France internationally". "He gave impetus at European level, he carried an ambition, ideas. He did not shame us, unlike his predecessor at times. But the weight of the France has continued to weaken," he said.