It had been an open secret for several months, but still, nothing is ever certain until the veil is lifted. The deputy from the French Riviera had grown closer to the former president of the Republic whom he had supported during his candidacy for the presidency of the UMP, distancing himself from Franรงois Fillon, whom he had been one of the main supporters of in 2012 during his failed bid for the UMP.
The announcement had been carefully prepared, and the triptych seemed like a well-orchestrated arrangement.
The sequence ultimately unfolded in three acts:
First, the reception of Franรงois Baroin, the designated prime minister of Nicolas Sarkozy, in the event of a double victory in the Les Rรฉpublicains primary in November and the presidential election in May 2017, during the grand annual fair of Eric Ciotti’s Friends in the presence of the local political elites, where the two politicians appeared alone on stage, a sign foreshadowing an alliance, accompanied by a clear and uncompromising statement: “I am right-wing and I claim it”;
Then a vibrant speech endorsing his party’s electoral program, essentially Nicolas Sarkozy’s campaign platform, during the national council of the LF the following day: “We now have a clear and courageous project to prepare for the shift. Our political family is organized, and for that, I want to thank @NicolasSarkozy”;
Finally, during an interview yesterday: “From the moment Nicolas Sarkozy decided to return, this choice was obvious; today, we must choose the best,” insisted Eric Ciotti.
The LR’s Security Mr. and president of the departmental council thus put all his electoral weight in the balance in favor of Nicolas Sarkozy and his “all right” political program, which aligns with his principles and orientations.
A promise of a ministerial position, specifically as the Minister of the Interior, backs a choice that, as the character of the interested party demands, will be complete and effective.
A significant weight because the Alpes-Maritimes is the number two federation after Paris in terms of party members, and it is the department that votes the most to the right in the country, governing almost all the mayoralties (in addition to the Departmental Council and the Metropolis).
The question remains whether this choice will be shared by Christian Estrosi, the friend-rival who has not declared himself yet and casts doubt.
If that were the case, we can easily imagine a locked primary at the local level. Otherwise, one should expect fireworks of circumstance.
