How far away December 2021 seems for Jean-Michel Blanquer. At the time, the Minister of National Education was thinking of building on his Rue de Grenelle balance sheet and planning for the future: first, the June legislative elections, then a place of choice with Emmanuel Macron in his second five year term.
The former rector, never elected, was aiming for a parachute drop in the third district of Yvelines, a right-wing land currently occupied by Béatrice Piron (La République en Marche, LRM). According to someone close to the minister, the latter had agreed to become the deputy of Mr. Blanquer, who, in the event of appointment to the government, would have left him his place on the benches of the National Assembly. But the month of January passed by.
The much criticized health protocol in schools, announced from his vacation in Ibiza (Spain), then made the star of the former darling of the Elysee Palace pale. At the same time, his colleague Minister for the City, Nadia Hai, ex-elected from Yvelines, is in turn eyeing the constituency, where she has her main residence. As if that weren’t enough, Béatrice Piron finally announces that she would stack up well as a starter… It’s time for exfiltration.
“The candidate exiled in the provinces”
The entourage of Jean-Michel Blanquer then sets out to find a new base. As revealed by France Inter, this will be the fourth district of Loiret. The outgoing deputy (Les Républicains, LR), Jean-Pierre Door, elected since 2002, is not standing; a golden opportunity in this territory held by the right for more than half a century. Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 May, Jean-Michel Blanquer therefore surveyed Montargis in order to make himself known to local oils.
The problem: Christophe Bouquet, responsible, in Centre-Val de Loire, of Horizons, the party of Edouard Philippe, declared his candidacy for several months already. “What is Jean-Michel Blanquer’s link with the constituency? The inhabitants are surprised by this candidacy.assures the latter. “We learned of Jean-Michel Blanquer’s intentions in the press, so there will be discussions”we say to the direction of Horizons.
Even if he won the nomination of the majority, the competition will be tough for the minister, with at least two other right-wing applicants in the ranks. “He is the candidate exiled in the Elysée provincemocks Jean-Pierre Door, who supports LR candidate Ariel Lévy. He has difficulties in Paris, so they try to find him a position to finish his career. He should have chosen somewhere else, we will do everything to prevent him from being elected. »
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