The far-right senator, in open conflict with the party leadership, announced Thursday that he was leaving the national authorities. “It is consistent to support Eric Zemmour” for the April ballot, he explained on Sunday.
His departure should cause others: Stéphane Ravier in turn leaves the National Rally. The senator from Bouches-du-Rhône announced Sunday morning on Europe 1 and CNews to join Eric Zemmour in his presidential race. Planting a new knife in the back of its competitor on the far right, Marine Le Pen, less than two months from the first round.
Ravier did not specify whether or not he intended to join Zemmour’s party, Reconquête. “My first membership [au FN] dates back to 1991. I remember why I came back, my ideas haven’t aged a bit. Because I had convictions, they are no longer carried by Marine Le Pen. They are by Eric Zemmour. It makes sense to support Eric Zemmour in his presidential campaign, because I am convinced that he is the real unifier.he explained.
The defection of Stéphane Ravier in favor of Eric Zemmour adds to the recent departures of RN MEPs Gilbert Collard, Jérôme Rivière and Maxette Pirbarkas, all of whom have passed through the ranks of the former CNEws columnist.
The announcement of Ravier’s departure is not a surprise. Thursday evening, after weeks of tension staged by himself, he organized a small conference in front of his office in Marseille, where he had gathered his local “supporters”, and he announced that he would withdraw “of all Parisian authorities” party. Announcing the creation of a local movement named Marseille first! The step was taken, all that remained was to close the door behind him. Stéphane Ravier, 35 years of movement, fan of Jean-Marie Le Pen, but less of his daughter Marine, was elected to the national office and the national council of the RN. He was the only senator from the far-right party.
His announcement thus puts an end to an open conflict with the direction of the movement, where Ravier multiplied the provocations, seeking at all costs the conflict and the sanction pretext causing his departure or his exclusion. At the end of November, he appeared in Marseille with Zemmour, then not yet a declared candidate, for his first campaign outing without signatures in rooms full of fanatics. He also raised the pressure with strong winks on social networks in the direction of Zemmour, appearing with some of his relatives. Then, an elected member of her team on the municipal council in Marseille, Sophie Grech, announced that she would sponsor Eric Zemmour rather than Marine Le Pen, excluding herself de facto some movement. In response, Ravier decided to keep women in the municipal group he chaired. Anger of other elected RNs, who leave him in return. Finally, the senator denounces a “political assassination”. The reason for leaving is found.
On Sunday, to justify his choice, Stéphane Ravier spoke of a “retreat of ideas” to the RN and its “electoral decline”. He specified that he nevertheless reserved his sponsorship for Marine Le Pen, “for final settlement”.