the LRs hit, but not yet sunk

229 deputies elected in 2012 on the list led by Jean-François Copé, 136 in 2017 on that of François Baroin, in 2022, under Christian Jacob, the LRs are counting on a range ranging from 50 to 80 deputies. Nothing to be satisfied with, but nothing to do hara-kiri right away. Because after the disastrous score of the right in the presidential election – 4.8% -, many outgoing deputies managed to climb to the second round of the legislative elections, like Annie Genevard (5^th constituency of Doubs, 42.07%), Marie-Christine Dalloz, (30.02%, 2^th circo du Jura), Fabien Di Filippo (4^th constituency of Moselle, 45.98%), or even Aurélien Pradié, with a score of 45.46% in the 1^time Lot circle.

In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, all the outgoing are qualified in the second round and the two LR candidates from Haute-Loire – Isabelle Valentin and Jean-Pierre Vigier – qualify with respectively 45.69% for the first and 45.68% for the second. The Republican right will also fight to win four territories: the 7^th circo de l’Isère (Yannick Neuder, 24.84%, ahead of the RN, 23.63%); 3^th constituency of Allier (Nicolas Ray, 24.22%, ahead of Together at 23.27%); 5^th Circo de la Loire (Antoine Vermorel-Marques, 25.77% ahead of Ensemble and its 23.41%); 6^th constituency of the Loire (Jean-Pierre Taite, second at 25.36%, behind Together, 26.43%).

For Aurélien Pradié, this result of the first round “is field work which has paid off electorally: being in contact with the inhabitants, speaking frankly, going into subjects which concern the ills of society, that is my method. “The one who had against him the region (led by the socialist Carole Delga), and many left-wing elected officials, said he was relieved – and a little surprised, “it’s my uncertain boyish side! – to have achieved such a score. He adds: “To speak of the LR as a party of the territories is reductive. What works is to put the human relationship before the rest. What made the outgoing deputies hold, concerns their vision of politics, that is to say a politics of the street corner, not metapolitics. “The Lotois pays tribute to his colleagues who have reached the second round: “To root means to know the inhabitants, to understand, to listen, and this is common in the young LR generation (Dive, Di Filippo and others). Some have done a lot of “metapolitics”, by writing op-eds in national newspapers, by theorizing, but the French are turning away from that. For five years, we have remained faithful to a discourse, a political family. ” As for the useful vote, he castigates it: ” I am convinced that there is nothing more insulting for the voters than the instructions of votes. »

“Personally, I will never put NUPES and Ensemble on the same level. The NUPES is an alliance against nature » says Agnès Evren

Despite these good results for some outgoing, it is not the same for Guillaume Larrivé, elected since 2012 in the 1^time constituency of Yonne and eliminated from the start with 22.6% in the first round, behind the RN at 22.61% and the NUPES, 24.25%. This vote seems to have sanctioned his prevarications: to join the presidential majority or to remain in his party. Another surprise, and not the least, Julien Aubert, elected since 2012 in the 5^th circo du Vaucluse (26.27% in 2012, then 20.96% in 2017 in the first round), and which comes out of the podium with 16.63% of the votes in 2022, behind LREM, the RN and the NUPES.

MEP Agnès Evren returns to these elections and explains that the party “did not expect a majority although we see that the right is resisting”, adding that the LR “have the majority in the Senate, so we can be a central actor for the reforms. According to her, “local roots played a role and showed that we can be a pivotal group for reforming the country. She also expressed concern about the future of democratic debate: “If you don’t support Macron, Le Pen or Mélenchon, the LRs are essential because they don’t give power to one man. […] The right will not be a Pavlovian opposition. She resists and shows that the alternation is not in extremes. “As for the useful vote, Agnès Evren speaks on her behalf: “Personally, I will never put the NUPES and Ensemble on the same level. NUPES is an unholy alliance that does not believe in justice, the rule of law, the police, European integration. I say it however: the only useful vote is LR; it is rational speech. »

François-Xavier Bellamy, also an MEP, says he is “rather relieved”, in particular by the fact that “many leavers have very solid scores. He salutes the score of many outgoing candidates, “some are at 45%, it’s incredible”, and their work: “They have worked on the ground, but the most striking thing is that we are heading towards a National Assembly completely out of step with French society. France leans more and more to the right but the Assembly is structured by the presidential majority governed by former socialists and the NUPES, that is to say the far left. That says the magnitude of the work that awaits us on the right. The MEP believes in “work on the substance, but rather to redefine our approach. I do not believe that the problem of the right is to manage irreconcilable rights, but a question of incarnation. »

This first round of the legislative elections will have demonstrated that the Republican right has limited the damage and that it can count on local voters, established, by leading a field campaign, close. While waiting for next Sunday, their strategic committee will be held on Monday June 13 at the headquarters, rue de Vaugirard. What to approach the subjects which annoy, the new strategy to adopt, a new line too. Waiting for the next election, scheduled for the end of the year. For the presidency of the party, this time.