Laurent Wauquiez “is not hidden”. Olivier Marleix gave the good news at the microphone of RTL, this Friday, March 17. But the president of the group Les Républicains (LR) in the National Assembly invites the candidate announced as natural to his camp for the next presidential election to come out, a little, of his splendid isolation. “I told him: he needs to be a little more present in the national debates that interest the French… especially when it’s a debate like pensions that affects all our compatriots”, explains the deputy for Eure-et-Loir.
Eric Ciotti shares this opinion. When he mentions his friend « Laurent »the president of LR weighs his words, even in private, says “follow its strategy”, but basically considers himself little helped by his champion for 2027. On Tuesday, the president of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, who was in favor of pension reform even if he considers it imperfect, had gathered for a breakfast Parisian six deputies from his region. Six deputies hostile to the government bill, starting with Isabelle Valentin, elected from Haute-Loire, of which Mr. Wauquiez is the deputy.
With the government’s recourse to 49.3, an article of the Constitution which allows a text to be adopted without a vote, it is impossible to measure the effectiveness of a mediation strongly suggested by the Ciotti-Marleix duo to at least tip its supporters from no to abstention. “I would have voted against the reform, Laurent knows it and heard my arguments”, confides Jean-Pierre Taite, LR deputy for the Loire. In the entourage of Mr. Wauquiez, we confirm the purpose of this morning meeting, but we deny any frying on the line with Eric Ciotti. Friendship would always be ” solid “regular exchanges, and the two men had lunch together a few days ago.
Scarcity Strategy
But friendship in politics does not exclude differences and opposing agendas. Thus, when one does not intend to deviate from his strategy of scarcity and awaits a more favorable moment to send a first pre-presidential postcard to the country, the other has had the feeling of being a captain with little help in the midst of storm. The divergence comes from the fact that Eric Ciotti expected media support which Laurent Wauquiez saw neither the interest nor the effectiveness in moving a few voices of recalcitrant deputies.
Not falling out perhaps, but the relationship has lost a few degrees in recent weeks. Elected at the head of LR on his name and that of Laurent Wauquiez, Eric Ciotti takes less time to praise the qualities of his champion. On January 23, he almost made him blush, however, at the time of his vows to the press: “Thank you Laurent for coming, you know the hope that you embody for many. »
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