A few days ago, in Brussels, Thierry Mariani packed his boxes. Not that the RN MEP is not planning a new mandate but because a letter from the European Parliament asked all elected officials to empty their offices for renovation work. At this stage, Nicolas Sarkozy's former minister, known for his uninhibited and assertive pro-Russian positions, still does not know whether he will be reappointed to Jordan Bardella's list for the European elections. Internally, many are wondering but no one knows what will be the fate of the former LR, welcomed with fanfare in 2019 in position number 3 and who, to this day, remains Marine Le Pen's biggest poaching.
Unlike the other Republican defector, Jean-Paul Garraud, Thierry Mariani has not yet been reconfirmed on the list. But unlike some of his outgoing RN MEP colleagues, he has not yet received a call from the leader telling him that he would not be in an eligible position. Thierry Mariani has made up his mind: he will find out on May 1 in Perpignan when the first 35 names on the list will be made public. Five years ago, he said, he only learned of his position as third on the list in January, four months after having secretly talked with Marine Le Pen. “The only truth in politics is when something is announced,” he says cautiously.