Jean-Christophe LAGARDE traveled to Nice for family reasons. It was an opportunity to meet with local party officials on the eve of the UDI National Congress, which will be held this Sunday in Versailles.
The central theme of this congress is the participation, or not, in the primary organized by Les Républicains, which, in this case, would become the primary for the right and center. The 23,000 members will have decided with an electronic vote, but the result is anticipated since the political bureau has expressed itself in this direction.
Clearly and strongly anchored on the right, the UDI is a loyal ally of the republican right in the Nice area and the region.
Its departmental president, Rudy Salles, who is also a deputy, holds significant positions in the local political arena, and some of its members are among the elected officials of the municipalities, the departmental council, and now the regional council.
For ten days, reading the newspapers, Jean-Christophe Lagarde explains that his party will not go to this vote in the absence of the negotiations he has been demanding in vain since the end of January with LR. He confirmed this to the activists during his brief speech.
At stake is the consideration of certain political positions, but above all, the weight of UDI’s representation in the legislative elections that will follow the presidential election.
In short, the UDI label is valuable if one wants to formalize the November primaries for the selection of the future single candidate and not leave the door open to candidacies that might claim to be “centrist.”
“United we win, divided we lose” – the two leaders say in unison.
In this “show of strength” between Les Républicains and the UDI, Sarkozy turns a deaf ear. He prefers to win the primary and then negotiate an alliance from a position of strength rather than bend to the power appetite of the centrists.
Then, he thinks it’s easier and more useful to make discreet deals with a few barons of this party, which doesn’t lack ambitious individuals personally.
Only Alain Juppé, a candidate favored by a good portion of UDI members, took the initiative to write to Lagarde, saying he was open to a “government agreement” with the centrists and ready to invest in the outgoing deputies (currently 29 UDI deputies).
In this deadlock, Sunday’s vote will serve to give substance to a line of autonomy vis-à-vis the more powerful ally.
In fact, the two parties are inseparable and know it well. This disagreement, beyond appearances, is just a matter of dividing the pie: each wanting the largest possible share. Be careful, though, that nothing is left but crumbs…
The rest is just a matter of appearances… Agreed on respecting the form, but the content is better!
