The affair could have started badly but the Renaissance partners preferred not to cause drama.
The nomination of Valérie Hayer as head of the list for the European elections is “a presidential choice”.
The majority's allies, Édouard Philippe and François Bayrou, were not consulted in this respect, but simply informed.
“This is neither the first nor the last time that this happens,” assures an executive from one of these two parties.
That was not the most important thing, assure Renaissance's allies.
Particularly for the movement of Édouard Philippe, which seeks above all to consolidate its position within the majority.
“In 2019, Horizons did not exist,” notes Gilles Boyer.
Today, I believe that we are rather an attractive force within the majority.”
Too greedy, those responsible for Horizons?
“They want their two outgoing ones, plus two new ones.
It’s far too much,” argues a Renaissance executive while the presidential party only intends to offer them three seats.
“No one is able to say how many eligible seats we will have”
Of the 23 outgoing MEPs, 20 hope to return... which is far from being guaranteed to them in view of the latest polls.
Enough to start worrying those interested.
“No one is able to say how many eligible seats we will have,” says a keen expert on negotiations.
Not easy to negotiate.
Beyond the disappointing polls, negotiations are well advanced with the UDI with a view to a future electoral agreement, which would require making a little more room on the list.
Here again, the centrist party would claim two eligible positions while Renaissance would only offer one.
“They are all greedy!”
», joked Valérie Hayer last week during a trip to Mayenne.
For these candidates, it will also be necessary to resolve some thorny issues, such as the place number assigned to Pascal Canfin, singled out in his camp since the controversy linked to the invitation of the Uprisings of the Earth to the debate which was planned at the Salon de l 'agriculture.
The outgoing MP is seen by agricultural unions as a representative of the “Europe of standards” which they denounce.
The majority gave themselves three weeks to sort all this out.