For several days, some within the majority have been wondering.
Should we hit the National Rally as hard as possible, at the risk of making it even more of a favorite?
Or avoid setting up a duel that is so difficult to win?
For the real launch of the campaign of Valérie Hayer, head of the list chosen by Emmanuel Macron for the European elections, which will be held in June, the response was largely provided by Gabriel Attal.
In this first campaign meeting, at the Grand Palais in Lille, the Prime Minister set the tone.
He increased the attacks against the National Rally, widely favored in the election with 30% of voting intentions.
Against the National Rally, and particularly against the “Le Pen clan”.
“The record of the Le Pen clan is 40 years of European Parliament, 40 years of mandate allowances, 40 years of ghosts in the corridors of Brussels and Strasbourg,” said the Prime Minister.
The great return of “Us or chaos”
The strategy is clear.
Largely behind in the polls, the majority must find levers to reduce the gap.
Before the meeting, Emmanuel Macron took the time to call the head of the list for around ten minutes.
He advised her to be herself, to show a smile as a sign of hope.
And to oppose those who believe in Europe and those who do not believe in it.
“The objective is to mobilize our base,” explains a majority executive.
“Our first lever for progress is the Macronist who doubts, supports an MEP.
A priori, we will not recover RN voters.
9 and a half million French people voted for Macron in the first round.
If we recover a third, with 50% abstention, we make 25%.
»
To mobilize, the majority executives therefore decided to brandish the threat of an RN at the helm.
The tone is dramatized.
“Does France want to leave Europe?
» asks Gabriel Attal.
“Let us not add the disorder of extremes to the disorder of the world.
Let’s not throw the future of our youth to waste,” he continues.
Read alsoEuropeans: Valérie Hayer, unknown to the general public as head of the Macronist list
Launched into the deep end of the campaign by all the tenors of the majority, the head of the list Valérie Hayer more or less used the same strategy.
Forgotten, his recent appeals addressed to the voters of Raphaël Glucksmann, whom some have little taste for within the majority.
“It’s one to midnight,” she called out.
These elections would therefore come down to a single match, between two lists.
“There will be on one side those who believe in Europe and on the other, those who do not believe in it,” summarizes the head of the list, respecting the presidential instructions.
It’s the big return of “Us or chaos”.
Gabriel Attal warns of a risk of “dislocation of Europe” and “weakening of France”.
Emmanuel Macron's entourage validates the strategy.
“The risk is that Eurosceptic forces will lay down the law in the European Parliament,” we emphasize.
The match is on.