The congress that transformed the UMP into “Les Républicains” clearly shows that a mere façade makeover is not enough to hide its cracks. All “republicans” indeed, but behind the monarch, this is the message Nicolas Sarkozy wanted to convey in his speech.
Mentioning the word “republic” or “republicans” more than a hundred times did not erase the bad taste of a party at risk of becoming an empty shell, merely serving the personal strategy of the former president of France who desperately wants to be the next one.
The harsh criticisms of the socialists and, indirectly, of his successor appeared banal and off-topic during a congress that aimed to be groundbreaking but was nothing more than a makeover session: changing the name while sticking to the classical modus operandi, with him commanding and others either following or being sidelined!
The composition of the political bureau (115 members representing all the party’s sensibilities) took on the appearance of a Central Committee of the CCP from the former Soviet Union.
Moreover, the booing from the audience directed at François Fillon and Alain Juppé, who were guilty of calling for primaries in 2016 instead of solely crowning the Party President for the 2017 presidential election, clearly indicates the direction the wind is blowing.
The elected officials from Nice took the floor (20,000 attendees were expected, but only 10,000 showed up) during the morning.
Eric Ciotti first displayed his favorite number, that of authority (which is also the title of the book he is currently promoting), a noble word concealing his vision of authoritarianism. It is well known that the president of the Departmental Council is obsessed with the ambition of becoming Minister of the Interior (or Minister of Police in a monarchist version) in the event of a power shift: thus, this explains a lot!
A candidate for the presidency of the PACA Region in the upcoming regional elections, Christian Estrosi discussed his battle with the young heir of the Le Pen political dynasty before launching into Gaullist reminiscences that were not really topical.
Nicolas Sarkozy concluded his speech with full self-celebration: “This is not a dream, this is not a utopia, it is simply our ambition: this is why we are ‘Les Républicains’.”
Christian Estrosi had announced his intention to be a “vigilant supporter” of “his” Party President: it is clear that until now, the substantive has completely overshadowed the subjunctive!
