Alexandre Chauveau
After the departure of Christian Jacob, Laurent Wauquiez seemed favorite to take the lead of the Republicans. But the president of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region announced that he did not wish to appear. For the moment, it is impossible to really determine who will be the future president of the party, even if a few names are beginning to emerge.
Who will lead the Republicans in December? The question occupies the minds on the right, after the departure of Christian Jacob and the decision of Laurent Wauquiez not to present himself to succeed him. For the moment, the candidates for the post are not jostling, which raises the question of the incarnation of the party.
Bring together
Because many were betting on Laurent Wauquiez to try to revive the LR machine. The boss of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region had the advantage of having the legitimacy of the ballot box, of being popular among activists, and above all of being a credible candidate for the presidential election in five years.
For Annie Genevard, interim president of the party, the future elected must above all bring together the different sensitivities. “I think that our political formation, heir to Gaullism, has always made sovereign issues coexist in a perfectly compatible way with the desire for well-understood solidarity, the importance given to work and its remuneration. I think that these are fundamentals which It wouldn’t make sense to pit them against each other,” she explains.
Application deadline early October
The line quarrels, however, is what awaits the Republicans if Aurélien Pradié or Éric Ciotti were to confront each other, one holding a right attentive to social issues, the other very focused on security issues. So in the meantime, other personalities consult their entourage. Michel Barnier aims in particular to lead the right to the Europeans in two years.
And if none of the names mentioned were to prevail, Annie Genevard, seven months strong at the head of the party in December, could be tempted to stay in her post. The deadline for submitting an application is October 3.