And Emmanuel Macron has turned into a “Renaissance man”in the words of Telegraph. The newspaper allows itself this witticism (we could translate the term in French by “man of many talents”or “universal spirit”) while the French president’s La République en Marche party was renamed Renaissance, Thursday, May 5.
The name Renaissance means “always to make the choice of Enlightenment against obscurantism”declared its secretary general, Stanislas Guerini, during a press conference in Paris.
The 44-year-old centrist leader had created his party En Marche! six years ago, recalls the British media. He then won an absolute majority in the 2017 legislative elections.
The extreme right and the “hard” left in ambush
This new name comes “just before the start of the campaign for the legislative elections” of June 12 and 19, during which the Head of State will try to obtain a majority in Parliament for his second term, notes The Guardian.
Pour “counter threats” represented by the National Rally and the Left Alliance, it was also announced that Renaissance would team up with two other centrist parties, the MoDem and Horizons, under the Together banner.
Local authorities and the European Union
Pour The Telegraphce “brand change” intended to “refresh image” of the party, when many voters voted for Macron in the presidential election to block the far right. And, while Mr Macron’s party has previously used the Renaissance name when campaigning for the 2019 European elections, it is “presenting the legislative elections as a battle for or against the European Union”.
The goal is also “to help Macron’s party gain traction in local communities, which it has failed to do for the past five years”relieves The Guardian. “It will be a people’s party, open to citizens,” Guerini said, saying any expertise was welcome, especially that of local elected officials who might join.
But, beware Politico Europewith the competition that is getting organized, the“ascension” could turn out “steeper” five years ago for the presidential party.