The Republicans (LR) are scheduled to hold a political bureau meeting on Tuesday, during which the exclusion of the “constructives” will be on the agenda.
The trio leading the charge—Bernard Accoyer, Laurent Wauquiez, and Eric Ciotti, along with the parliamentary group president François Jacob—have in mind the goal of purging the party to be prepared for the autumn to elect a president and a new leadership that aligns with orthodox values.
Besides the LR members who joined the government, the 12 deputies who formed a separate parliamentary group with 18 UDI members, known as the “constructives,” are expected to face removal.
However, “at the same time” (the expression beloved by Emmanuel Macron will remain popular for a long time) the president of the UDI, Jean-Christophe Lagarde, expressed his intention on Sunday, July 9, to create a new political party “by autumn,” with the members of the Republicans (LR) known as the “constructives.”
“With these individuals, we can build a great centrist and progressive right-wing movement. A parliamentary group necessarily aims to find a political outlet,” he stated.
But Jean-Christophe Lagarde doesn’t want to stop there: the mayor of Nancy, Laurent Hénart, five presidents of the Radical Party who are already part of the UDI, the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, and Toulouse, Jean-Luc Moudenc, as well as some departmental council presidents could find their place within this new entity.
And why not Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France Region, and Xavier Bertrand, president of the Hauts-de-France Region, supporters of a more traditional right?
The right-wing drift and FN-compatibility of LR risk colliding with a Macron-compatible right that remains unwavering on the principle of the republican front.
The Republicans, after the double defeat in the presidential and legislative elections, have begun “renovation workshops.” Starting with a split does not seem to be the best recipe for future success!
Autumn is the season in which leaves fall… and in this case, choices will need to be made by everyone involved.
The territorial consequences remain to be imagined, where former allies share positions of responsibility and the accompanying power.
