The president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Laurent Wauquiez, gave up on Sunday July 17 to run for the presidency of his party, Les Républicains, which must designate Christian Jacob’s successor in the fall. “Today, after much thought, I have decided not to be a Republican presidential candidate”announced the former minister of François Fillon in a long text published on Facebook, with the false air of declaration of candidacy – early – in the presidential election of 2027.
“I make this choice because I believe that we must devote all our energy to this overhaul to which our country aspires. Such a requirement does not support any dispersion. You have to give yourself totally to it; we must distance ourselves from the political fight”adds the one who led the right-wing party from 2017 to 2019.
“The alternative that we must build must go beyond questions of devices. I am convinced that this is the only path that will make it possible to meet the great democratic choice of 2027. It is, neither more nor less, than building a change of the same nature as that of 1958 »continues Mr. Wauquiez. “The subject is neither Emmanuel Macron nor Marine le Pen, the subject is the after”insists the 47-year-old elected official.
A decision that should pave the way for competition
LR must convene its congress in the fall to appoint the successor to Christian Jacob, who left the presidency of the party on 1is July after holding the position for three years. He was temporarily replaced by number two, Doubs MP Annie Genevard.
Mr. Jacob had made Laurent Wauquiez his favorite to succeed him. But the president of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes since 2016, who has made this region the laboratory of his national ambitions, seems to have another political agenda.
His decision should pave the way for competition. The names of party secretary general Aurélien Pradié, deputy for Lot, former minister Rachida Dati, mayor of 7e district of Paris, or the mayor of Cannes David Lisnard, president of the Association of Mayors of France, circulated as potential contenders for the presidency of the party.
Those of Vendée senator Bruno Retailleau, European deputy François-Xavier Bellamy, or Alpes-Maritimes deputy Eric Ciotti, all three close to Laurent Wauquiez, were also mentioned.