After the revelations of “Liberation” on the fraudulent maneuvers in the designation of Valérie Pécresse as the party’s presidential candidate, the left rages, the extreme right jubilates and the right tries to show its credentials.
Douglas makes people talk about him. The dog from the Alpes-Maritimes, stronghold of Eric Ciotti, was transformed last fall into a member of the Republicans. This is revealed Release, in a long investigation into fraudulent practices tainting the party congress, won by Valérie Pécresse in December. Douglas, like several hundred members, escaped the control of the body responsible for supervising the ballot.
Contributions paid by a third party, deceased members, voters who do not know the identity of the candidate… Our investigation calls into question the security and sincerity of the ballot. Unsurprisingly, on the right, we keep a low profile. The entourage of Valérie Pécresse only split a minimalist comment to Agence France Presse, ensuring that her appointment was “exemplary in its organization, its mobilization, and its union”. In a press release published during the day, the Republicans denounce “approximations, innuendos and unfounded allegations”. And to complete: “The Congress of Republicans was exemplary in every respect, both in its organization and in its mobilization, as evidenced by the lack of recourse from the other candidates.” “Liberation” maintains all of its information.
Douglas “cannot read”
Only Senator LR from La Manche, Philippe Bas, has so far gone to the front. Questioned by Public Senate, he denied any irregularity. “It’s simply not true. The truth is quite different. There was for this primary, and it was our role to make sure of it, verifications, extremely meticulous controls. The parliamentarian, who presided over the supervisory body of the congress, which had to ensure in particular the “sincerity” of the results, prefers to highlight potential voters deprived of their vote for lack of valid documents: “Our problem was rather that many members were excluded from the vote because they had not given all the necessary elements to be able to vote.”
Always more zealous, the same Philippe Bas then ensured at the microphone of BFM that the dog Douglas evoked by Release could not vote “because he cannot read the code number sent by SMS to his mobile phone”. Truthful. One of the candidate’s spokespersons, Guilhem Carayon, mentioned on the same channel a “gutter campaign” and denounced a “ridiculous pseudo-polemic”.
In the rest of the political class, our revelations provoke strong reactions. “The great replacement of adherents…”, joked on Twitter David Assouline (before deleting his message), PS senator from Paris and supporter of Anne Hidalgo, in reference to the racist and conspiracy theory cited by the candidate during her recent speech at the Zénith de Paris. “Overwhelming”grated on his side Julien Bayou, the national secretary of EELV, on the social network.
Eric Zemmour’s camp, for its part, drew en masse on social networks. “The animalist party dreamed of it, Valérie Pécresse did it: the animal vote is therefore finally counted”, mocked the far-right candidate. On Twitter, his troops massively relayed the investigation of Release. Suspicions of fraud in the LR congress are blessed bread for the Zemmourian camp, which is competing with the LR candidate and Marine Le Pen for a place in the second round of the presidential election. The deputy of Loir-et-Cher Guillaume Peltier, freshly joined in Zemmour, published on Twitter a photo of him and his dog “Milo” to be ironic about the rallying of “Douglas” to the former columnist of CNews… “Impossibleretorted the deputy LR Pierre-Henri Dumont. Unlike you Guillaume Peltier, dogs are faithful. Atmosphere.
Pécresse on BFM tonight
“After the Asian members, congratulations to Douglas the dog as well as to the many deceased members for having allowed the election of Valérie Pécresse at the LR congress”, also mocked the spokesperson for Reconquest!, Sébastien Pilard. And the founder of Sens commun – the political emanation of the “Manif pour tous” – and defector from LR to add: “Proof of an insincere election for an insincere candidate.”
At the National Rally, party officials are, for the time being, silent. Gard deputy Nicolas Meizonnet only denounced the “circus” of the Republican primary. “At LR, members are fine, it’s like Douglas the dog”also mocked the Nice identity Philippe Vardon.
Charges to which Valérie Pécresse could provide the first answers, since she will be this Wednesday evening from 8:50 p.m. on the political program of BFMTV.
Update at 6:20 p.m. with the LR press release and the reaction of Guillaume Peltier and Pierre-Henri Dumont.