Presidential 2022: Eric Zemmour “facilitates the task” of Emmanuel Macron, believes Louis Aliot

Should Marine Le Pen fear the dynamic Éric Zemmour? The former polemicist, often on an equal footing with the candidate of the National Rally in the polls, could prevent him from reaching the second round. Gradually winning over some of the far-right voters, the neo-candidate does not hesitate, in the wake of his rival, to recover the disappointed of the LR Congress. But while waiting to collect the votes, another contender for the Élysée takes advantage of this duel, it is Valérie Pécresse.

Invited to the Grand Jury for LCI-Le Figaro-RTL, Louis Aliot accuses the coup. Even if, “the main enemy of the party” rest “the government and Emmanuel Macron”, the polemicist worries the elected representative of Perpignan. “In the polls, Marine Le Pen is on a par with the President of the Republic, she even precedes him sometimes. But when you have Eric Zemmour in the field, Marine Le Pen mechanically lowers, which allows the threshold to be lowered to the ‘accession to the second round and thus allow a Valérie Pécresse to be competitive “, he analyzes.

In early December, according to our latest Ifo-Fiducial survey for LCI and Le Figaro, the candidate The Republicans came neck-to-neck with Marine Le Pen, both credited at 17%, just behind Emmanuel Macron (25%) not yet a candidate. Eric Zemmour, him, won 13% of voting intentions.

For the spokesperson of the National Rally, Éric Zemmour “makes the job easier” Emmanuel Macron and he does not hesitate to challenge him directly. “You are dividing the national camp and playing into the game of the system you claim to fight”, he retorts.

Immigration, security … on all subjects, the candidate for the “Reconquest” – named after his movement – “does not say anything more than what is said”, insists Louis Aliot. “We have been saying exactly the same things for 30 years.” So to recover those who “went ball in the head behind Éric Zemmour”, the mayor of Perpignan believes in the field campaign. “He stormed into this election making a number of shocking statements, but now voters are asking questions.”

Another lever to be able to hope to reach the second round a second time, “to take the big step of the gathering”, assumes Louis Aliot. And why not by uniting with other candidates? On the LCI stage, the vice-president of the National Rally calls on Nicolas Dupont-Aignan and Jean Lassalle, also in the race for the Élysée, to support Marine Le Pen. A choice that the head of “Debout la France” had already made in 2017.

“Jean Lassalle (who had recovered 1.2% of the vote in the last ballot, editor’s note) is welcome to support our candidacy. He is someone who has values, who defends traditions and even if there are subjects that keep us apart, many bring us together “, like agriculture, mountain economy or tourism, evokes the mayor of Perpignan. It still remains to recover the 500 sponsorships of local elected officials necessary to participate in the election, which, to believe Louis Aliot, is not an easy task.